Tainted Black
by Immortal Blade
Summary: (Dead) The world is in white and black. But is white good, and black evil? Or is it the other way around? Who is the mystery man? What does he want with Bell? Why does he wear the mask? The world is in black and white.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey, a new story! The OC won't be as powerful as he looks, though, but he's still strong. He's got a bitter past, just like almost every OC I have, but Tainted Black should be better written than ACEM. Maybe.**

Red eyes wide with fear looked on as the minotaur approached. The boy with the white hair's breath quickened, and he pushed himself closer to the wall. His eyes widened as it raised an arm, ready to crush him-

"Bell!"

The minotaur looked over its shoulder, and the boy took the opportunity to escape by quickly running past it, hiding behind a rock. The minotaur let out a roar, and started stalking after him.

"Bell. Close your eyes."

The boy did as he was told, and closed his red eyes. He heard a twisted, atrocious, scream, the sound echoing across the entire level of the dungeon.

Elsewhere, a girl with long blonde hair stopped. What had made such a horrifying noise? She had to find out, and resumed running.

"Bell, open your eyes."

Bell opened his eyes, staring at the figure in black. All black. Black boots, black pants, black hooded cloak, black gauntlets. The only thing not black was the plain white mask on his face, two small eyeholes providing vision to the violet eyes behind them.

"Thank you."

The masked man nodded. The blonde haired girl rounded the corner.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but a few minotaur escaped from the seventeenth floor. Have you seen any?"  
Bell nodded dumbly.

"Where did it go?"  
The masked man picked up Bell.

"If you bothered to do your job right, you wouldn't have to be asking those kinds of questions. I cleaned up your mistake, but don't expect it to happen again. Come on Bell, we're going home for today."

Bell looked up at the masked man, and gulped.

"Right."

He glanced back at the girl, who was visibly shocked. She regained her composure.

"What did I do to you?"  
The man responded without looking back.

"You almost got my brother killed."

Her eyes widened, and she frowned, bowing her head.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize to me. Just do your job."

"By the way, what was that noise earlier? It sounded like screaming, but very twisted."  
"That was the minotaur you were trying to find."

The girl's eyes widened drastically, and the man pulled Bell after him.

* * *

"Bell, how was the dungeon today?"  
"It went alright. I went to the fifth floor, but I ran into a minotaur from the seventeenth floor that escaped. He saved me."

"Oh, you mean _him_?"

"Yes, goddess."

"Well, that's fine."

"Goddess, this made me realize something today. He keeps protecting me whenever I can't protect myself. I've become a burden to him, since he can't go to the lower floors without having to check on me every so often. Goddess, I want to become stronger! No, I _will_ become stronger!"

"Bell, you're new to this. He's been doing this for a while now, you haven't. Let's go update your status, and we can talk about it later."

Bell's eyes fell. "Right, goddess."

* * *

' _What is this? Single Minded Pursuit? I've never heard of it before. Hmm, I should keep this a secret from the other gods. If they've never heard of this, then they'll just use him for their own selfish entertainment.'_

"Goddess, is everything alright?"  
"Yes. Here, look at your status."

Bell took the paper, and his eyes widened.

"Wow, my status went up a lot. Goddess, what's this smudge here? Did I gain a new skill?"  
"No, my hand slipped. You don't have any skills."

' _I'm sorry Bell, but I have to lie to you, since you can't lie at all.'_

Bell looked downcast. "Oh. Okay, goddess."

"Bell, promise me something."

Bell raised his head. "Yes, goddess?"  
"Promise me that you'll try to become strong, without pushing yourself too hard."

Bell's response was immediate. "I promise, goddess."

* * *

Magic stones fell rapidly as the masked man walked by, striking down monsters with his gloved hands.

"You're the man from before."

He turned, seeing the blonde haired woman behind him.

"Ais Wallenstein, right? The Sword Princess?"

Ais nodded.

"Yes. I'm sorry for earlier."  
"What did I say? Don't apologize to me. Would you mind helping me pick up these stones?"  
Ais blinked, then started walking around, picking up the stones. She handed them over to him, and he sighed.

"Look, I'm not mad at you specifically. I'm just mad because my brother almost got killed."

"The boy from before? You two don't look like brothers."  
"We're not actually related. My actual brother died a while back, but Bell's like a little brother to me."

Ais nodded.

"Okay."

They continued walking, killing monsters and picking up the stones they dropped. Ais glanced at the masked man.

"You seem very calm about doing all this. No fear, no hesitation."

"I could say the same for you."

The fell silent, continuing their massacre of the monsters.

"Do you wear that mask all the time?"  
"Yes."

"Is the mask uncomfortable to wear all the time?"  
"No, not at all."

* * *

Bell smiled.

"Oh, good. You're here. I wanted to go into the dungeon, but I had to wait."  
"It's fine. Did you wait long?"  
Bell shook his head.

"Not too long."

The masked man nodded.

"Then let's go."

They entered the dungeon, Bell fighting the monsters, and the masked man picking up the magic stones that fell from the dead ones. Bell dodged an attack from the masked man, and immediately guarded from the other monsters as well.

"Bell, keep your guard up."

"Right!"

They continued this pattern, the masked man attacking Bell when his guard was down, until Bell stopped. The masked man paused.

"Why did you stop?"  
"We're on the sixth floor."

"So?"  
"I almost died on the fifth floor."  
"You were attacked by a monster that came from the seventeenth. That was something you weren't prepared for. This floor is something that you are ready for. Keep going."

"But-"  
"You'll be fine. I'm here too, and I say you're strong enough to keep going."

"I don't want to."

"Do you want to stay here and train instead?"  
Bell frowned, and thought for awhile.  
"Alright."

* * *

"Bell! What happened?"  
"I was training with him, and we got ambushed by a few monsters. I'm fine, though. Just a little tired."

The goddess frowned.

"Did you push yourself too hard?"  
"No, we just had a little disagreement. He said I should go to the sixth floor, even though I had trouble on the fifth floor."

"Well, I can understand why you don't want to go, but don't you want to become stronger?"  
Bell's eyes widened.  
"Of course, goddess! I want to become stronger. That way, I won't have to be protected by him!"

"Then, strive for nothing less than your limit."

"Right, goddess!"

"Let's update your status."

* * *

"Bell, your status has gone up. A lot."

"Goddess, how much?"  
"Here, look for yourself."  
Bell took the paper, and his eyes widened.  
"Wow, goddess, my status has gone up so much!"  
"What have you been doing that made your status increase so much, Bell? You said you weren't pushing yourself."  
"I wasn't goddess! I was simply training with him."

The goddess scowled.

"Well, that's fine. Anyway, I'm going to Ganesha's Banquet with the other gods and goddesses."  
"That's great goddess. Have fun."

* * *

"Ah, Hestia, how nice to see you again. Eating a bit much, don't you think?"  
The goddess looked over to see a young woman in a dress, with bright red hair, and a matching red eye, as the right one was covered by a black cloth.

"Hephaestus, it's nice to see you again. I actually have a favor to ask you."

"Really? After everything you've done before?"  
"I'm no longer a person who would swallow other people's purses."  
"Like you're swallowing that food."

Hestia looked down.

"Hey, if we're going to insult people, can we do it elsewhere? I really don't want to have to listen to bickering."  
Hestia looked up in surprise.

"You! You're the one that trains and protects Bell! What are you doing here?"  
The masked man chuckled.

"I was sent as an representative for my familia. Is something wrong with that?"  
"This banquet is for gods and goddesses only, that's what's wrong with it."  
"Hestia-"

"No, Hephaestus, she's right. This banquet is for gods and goddesses only, and I'm not a god or a goddess. Anyway, is what I asked for ready?"  
Hephaestus nodded. "Yeah, it's in my workshop. If you want to go, you can. Just don't break anything."  
The masked man nodded, then walked away.

"What? You're letting into your workshop? Who is he?"  
"You know, I haven't seen his face in a while. I'm unsure if I want to, though."

Hestia tilted her head. "Why would that be?"  
Hephaestus smiled softly. "No reason. Just a little unnerved, that's all."

"Unnerved by what, Hephaestus?"

Hephaestus turned around.

"Ah, Freya, nice to see you again."

The goddess of beauty smiled.

"Of course it's nice to see you again also, Hephaestus. So, what unnerved you?"  
"It's nothing important. Just the masked man. You remember him, right?"  
"Of course. I wonder how much he's changed. Maybe he's ready to take off the mask for good."

"No, Freya, he's not. I could tell by his voice. He's not ready."

Freya smiled.

"Well, that's all for now, then. Tell me, how's your familia?"

Hephaestus' voice was terse. "They're doing well."

"And your's, Hestia?"  
"He's also doing well. Growing as usual."

"There's only one member of your familia, so you can pay much attention to him, right?"  
Hestia shuddered. "Don't say it like that."

Freya giggled. "Oh? Is it not like that?"  
"Freya, stop teasing her."

"Oh, but it's quite fun, and we all do it at least once. Well, that's enough for today. I do believe I've devoured the men sufficiently enough."

All the men in the room had dazed looks to them. Freya took her leave, and Hestia pouted.

"Why do all goddesses of love act that way?"  
"Because, they emphasize an erotic love, as opposed to platonic love, or a familial love."

Hestia looked at Hephaestus in shock. "Wow, I did not know that."

"Said the masked man."

"Neither did you, until he told you."

"Right. His wisdom is beyond his years, though that's understandable."

"Why?"  
"He's strong, so he's seen things most people haven't. It's just the way some people are."

Hestia nodded.

"I have a favor to ask of you. My familia needs a weapon. He's a rookie, but he needs something stronger than what he has now. Please, Hephaestus."

Hephaestus smiled softly. "There's no need for that."

"Please, Hephaestus! I'll beg!"

"You see, the masked man already asked, and I accepted, in a way. I denied him first. Making a weapon deliberately weak would go against my policy. So instead, I granted him some time to work in my workshop, since he's already proven himself a good smith, which I find a bit ironic in a way, now."

Hestia shrugged. "What about earlier?"  
"I forged something for him, and he actually paid for it before taking it, unlike some people I know."

Hestia pouted, and Hephaestus giggled.

"But, more importantly, he waited before asking me, saying he didn't like to be in debt to others, or to make people do things they didn't want to do. So, I let him forge your familia's weapon himself. It will be more powerful than any other adventurer's weapon could ever hope to be."

* * *

The next day, Bell was waiting at the dungeon entrance. He saw the masked man approach, carrying a thin parcel.

"What's that for?"  
The masked man handed it over.

"It's for you, Bell."

Bell unwrapped the parcel, revealing a black, long bladed knife, etched with what looked like glyphs.

"I talked to Hephaestus earlier, and she allowed me to forge a weapon for you."  
"Thank you very much."

"It will grow as you do, and when you reach the top, then it will also reach the top. In addition, it can only be used by you. Come on, let's go dungeon exploring. I can guarantee you'll get farther than before."

* * *

It had been a few days since Bell and the masked man had gone on their dungeon run with the new blade, and Bell had adjusted well.

"I'm going down to the lower floors, alone. Bell, only go down to the floors you've been to before, then go back up and repeat. You should find a supporter in the meantime."

Bell crossed his arms. "Fine. But you have to be back before four days have passed, if that's okay with you."

The masked man ruffled Bell's hair. "Look at you, being all manly. You're trying to impress a girl, right? I'd like to meet her."

Bell's face went bright red, and he waved his hands in front of his face. "No, it's not like that! I'm just worried, is all. Please come back safely, it's dangerous down there."

The masked man chuckled, then nodded.

"I will, Bell. I will."

* * *

The dark hallway was entirely void of any life save for the masked man that walked down it. He barely spared a glance at the numerous large bluish crystals that grew out of the walls and floor. After a while of walking, he stopped, turned, and faced the wall, gently pressing his hand to it, muttering under his breath. The wall shifted, then parted, revealing a cave, and the man walked in.

"Hey, I'm back."

He heard the sounds of hissing, along with a giggle. He sighed.

"It's been a long time, huh?"

A female voice echoed throughout the cave.

"Of course it has. It's been ten years."

The man nodded.

"Right. I'm sorry for making you wait. I've had my oath to attend to."

"Ah, you were never one to break your word."

The man chuckled.

"No, I wasn't. I'm still not now. Tell me, how has ten years been for you?"  
A slithering sound echoed in the cave, and the masked man saw a teenage girl, with the lower body of a large snake. Instead of hair, she had many small snakes, and her green eyes were full of life. The man chuckled.

"Not much has changed, then. Still looking the same."

The teen slithered across the room, then rested a hand on the man's head, pressing her head to his chest.

"I missed you."

The man hugged her in response.

"I missed you too. It's hard being like this, you know?"

The girl nodded.

"I know. But you did well then. You've gotten stronger, and maybe you can free us."

They stayed like that for a few moments, then separated, the girl's smile filled with melancholy.

"So, how are the upper floors? Are the monsters still as mindless as ever?"  
"Yep. Intelligence isn't something that he can spare giving to every low level monster _he_ releases."

"Only the lower floors can have that luxury."

"You're on the highest floor of monsters with that much intelligence. You should be careful if any adventurers come passing by, and try to kill you."

"They wouldn't get too far, they'd be distracted by the stones. Even if they did, they wouldn't know where to look, or how to get inside the cave."

"And if they happened to stumble upon here by accident, even if it's very unlikely?"

"They'd be petrified by my eyes. Everyone does."  
"I'm not."

"You're the only one."

"Being different has its perks."

The teen giggled, rolling her eyes.

"Not everyone's as content with being as different as you."  
"Not everyone's me."

The girl giggled.

"Touche."

"But, if anyone were to stumble upon here, and you did petrify them, then it would alert others, and they would be much more cautious from then on. They could kill you."

The teen shrugged.

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time."

"You'd lose all of your memories."

"It's happened before."

"I'd miss you."

The teen stopped.

"People like you aren't like people from up there. There are adventurers, supporters, merchants, even gods are up there."  
The girl raised an eyebrow.

"Even gods?"  
"Even gods. But, there's a hierarchy of power there. Not like down here. Up there, people have to work to get their needs met either by themselves, or with others, and the rewards are rarely shared equally."

"Oh. So it's like that."

"Yeah. Not everyone's nice either. Very little respect is shown, even for those who deserve it."

A snake slithered up, and the masked man patted it on the head.

"People have to lie and steal to thrive up there. I want to change that, but I can't."  
"You've tried before, and look what happened."

"I know. But if I fight to make a change, will you stay out of it, and save yourself from the suffering of betrayal, or would you help me, and face those challenges?"

"You know the answer to that."

"Right. I should get going. A friend of mine is waiting, and it takes a while to go up all these floors."

The man started to leave, but the teen grabbed his arm.

"Here. Take these. If there is a hierarchy of power, then it's money driven, right? Take these, and sell them. I know you too well. You'll need money to help others."

"I can get money from the upper floor monsters."  
"It won't be enough. They'll want more, that's how they are. Take these."

The masked man sighed, as he took the long fangs from the teen. They were about as long as his arm, and pure white in color. He placed them in his cloak, nodding at the teen.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. They're the fangs from the old me, before I became like this."

The man walked out, the snakes watching him. One snake looked at the teen.

"Will the masked man be strong enough to beat _him_ , Medusa?"

The teen paused at the question.

"I hope so. I really do."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: The dungeon is underground. Lower floors have higher numbers.**

 **Also, Bete. Don't harass Ais, it's not good for your health.**

"I'd like to sell these. How much can I get for them?"  
The woman inspected the fangs, then looked at the masked man.  
"Where did you get these?"  
"From the lower floors."  
"I can see that. These are of fantastic quality. I've never seen anything like this before."  
"I wouldn't expect you to. They're not something one would easily come across."  
"These would make very good weapons. If you come back later, maybe in a few days, I can get the money for you. I don't know of anyone who could get you the money for these immediately. I'd estimate these at about ten billion valis each, probably more. I've never seen anything like these before."  
The masked man gently placed the fangs back in his cloak.  
"Is there anything I can make them into?"  
"I'd say short swords, or maybe long knives."  
"I think about it. Thank you for your time."  
The masked man left the shop, cloak swishing slightly.  
"The small shops are good for selling goods of questionable origin quickly, aren't they?"  
The masked man sighed.  
"Yes, they are. More efficient than the guild for items that shouldn't be talked about. So, what do you want, Blaec?"  
Blaec grinned, his green eyes full of amusement.  
"Not much. I haven't seen you in such a long time, and when we meet, that's all I get? No hello, how have you been these past ten years?"  
"I'm surprised you recognized me."  
"Well, even if it's been ten years, I haven't forgot. You've changed a little. Have _I_ not changed that much?"  
"No. You're still as annoying as ever."  
Blaec faked hurt, holding his chest with his black and white gloves.  
"Your words wound me. Is that any way to talk to a friend?"  
"It is when you're annoying. And we're not friends. Now, I need to go. The merchant is going to get money for some items I picked up. I'll be able to provide some funds for my charge."  
"If you went somewhere like here, instead of the guild, then it must of been from _there_ , right?"  
The masked man nodded, and Blaec scowled.  
"You know I don't like you going down there."  
"And you know I don't like it when you annoy me like that."  
Blaec grinned.  
"Well, we gotta compromise somehow, right? So, how much for your _items_?"  
"The merchant said ten billion valis each."  
Blaec's eyes widened.  
"Wow. That's a lot. Let me guess, you got some things from Medusa, right?"  
The masked man nodded.  
"I know. It should be enough to last a while. I could get Hephaestus to forge some items for me later, if this transaction pulls through."  
"You're as good a supporter as you were fifteen years ago."  
"Thanks. I'm acting as my charge's supporter now. I told him I was leaving for a while, and he said I had to be back in four days or less. He's weak, but he'll get stronger. I'm sure of it."  
"You forged a weapon for him, didn't you?"  
"Yes."  
"It was a Forged weapon, wasn't it?"  
"Yes."  
Blaec sighed.  
"Does he know everything about it yet?"  
"No, but he'll learn about it soon. I'm heading back, so go back to annoying other people."  
"Hey! I don't annoy people!"  
But the masked man was already off.

* * *

"Bell, how was your day?"  
"It went well, how was your trip?"  
"It went well. I got some items, and we'll get the money in a few days. I'll probably spend a bit on new equipment first, but the remainder should be enough to last a while."  
"How much after you finish spending?"  
"You'll get five billion. Don't spend all of it at once, and don't let anyone else know how much you have. I'll keep the rest with me."  
"Five billion valis? That's a lot."  
"Bell, were you listening to anything after that?"  
"Of course. Don't spend too much, don't let anyone else know how much I have."  
"Close enough. We'll go out for dinner tonight. My treat."  
"I know a place. A girl picked up a magic stone I dropped. We talked a bit, but I promised I'd eat where she works for dinner."

* * *

"Ais! Tell us about that guy! I wasn't there to see him, but you mentioned something about him. What was it again?"  
The masked man sighed as Bell continued eating.  
"Wasn't it that he was really unnerving?"  
"Someone unnerved Ais? Wow, that takes a lot of skill. What happened to you Bete? You never told us."  
"Really? I didn't? Oh well, I'll tell you. So, I was following the minotaur with Ais, and all of a sudden, we heard this horrible, twisted scream. Ais and I ran to find the source, naturally. I ended up getting ambushed by something, and it knocked me out. When I woke up, Ais found me."  
"Ais, is this true?"  
"I found the source of the sound, but I lost Bete afterwards. When I found him again, he was unconscious."  
The masked man glanced at their table, then back to where he was looking before.  
"So, what made the sound, Ais?"  
"It was the minotaur."  
The entire room fell silent for a moment.  
"Really? What would make a minotaur scream?"  
"The masked man."  
The masked man looked away, hiding his face.  
"Ais, I don't believe you. I've hurt minotaurs before, but none have screamed in pain like that. Are you sure it was the minotaur, and not someone torturing some weak monster?"  
"I'm sure."  
"Well, there's no one that strong to make a minotaur scream in pain like that. They'd roar, but screaming out of pain is something they don't do. Ais, what really happened?"  
Ais stared at him.  
"I already told you."  
"I don't believe you. You're lying, Ais. No one's that strong. What really happened?"  
The masked man looked over at Bell, who was done eating.  
"Bell, go home. I'll be there soon."  
The masked man paid, and Bell left. The masked man waited a little longer.  
"Ais, stop lying! A minotaur wouldn't scream in pain like that, especially a confused one! It would roar, it would shriek, but never would it scream in pain."  
The masked man stood up, and strode over to their table, effortlessly picking up Bete, who flailed around.  
"Hey, who are you?"  
"The masked man. You and I are going to have a little chat."  
He looked at the others at the table.  
"I'm sorry for your loss."  
He dragged the struggling Bete out of the restaurant.

* * *

Several minutes, Bete came crawling back into the restaurant. Ais looked at him with mild worry.  
"Bete. Are you alright?"  
Bete looked up, a crazed, fearful look in his eyes. A small black stain in the shape of a sword rested on his face, opposite the lightning tattoo on his left side. Ais noticed his boots were nearly covered in the black stain.  
"It's light in here. I'm safe. I can see what's here. I'm safe for now."  
"Bete, can we go now?"  
Bete looked in her direction, his eyes unfocused, but still full of fear.  
"And go into the dark? No, I can't do that. _He_ might be there. I won't know. It's dark out there. Not safe, not safe at all."  
"Bete, what happened?"  
Bete blinked, his eyes focusing on her.  
"Nothing too bad. I'll be fine."  
"Are you sure?"  
"Of course. It'll take more than that to best me, of course."  
"So, are you ready to go?"  
Bete looked fearful of the darkness outside.  
"I really don't want to go."

* * *

"You insolent little whelp! Immediately after he comes back, you have the audacity to help him?"  
Medusa cowered, as the muscular figure approached, a crazed smile visible on his face.  
"Well, I can't do anything about that, but let me make something clear. You help him again, you will die, slowly and painfully."  
"I am not afraid to die. If I do, he will know, and he will become angry."  
"Still cocky, I see. Well, I don't have to _kill_ you. Maybe I'll make a little visit to the upper floor, maybe even leave the dungeon. I really should make a point to visit him. Maybe have a little chat with him. He'll see how weak he really is. No one can beat the master."  
Medusa narrowed her eyes.  
"You are a coward. A strong coward, but still a coward."  
The man slammed his hand into Medusa's head, nearly crushing it. His smile looked more forced, but still crazed.  
"Really, now? A coward, you say? You call me that, after what he did? He left you Medusa, for ten years. I never left this place once. You have the nerve to call me a coward?"  
Medusa grinned savagely, as she pushed herself back up.  
"Maybe not a coward, after all. More of a weakling."  
She lunged at him before wrapping her tail around him, and began to crush him. He began struggling, but a snake sprung out from the shadows, biting his leg. More snakes slithered out, slower, before taking their places near him. Medusa grabbed the man's head, staring into his eyes.  
"How does it feel, weakling? To be defeated by someone on a higher floor, so easily. Did you think I was that weak?"  
Medusa chuckled darkly, still staring into his eyes.  
"Too bad, I'm not."  
The man stopped struggling. Medusa gave one last squeeze of effort, crushing the man's ribs along with his spine. She let go, the man's broken body crumpling on the floor. The snakes lunged at the corpse, tearing at the exposed flesh with knifelike fangs.  
"Well, well, Medusa. That was a good display of strength."  
Medusa glared at the newcomer.  
"Are you going to try to attack me too?"  
"No, of course not. But the mistakes of the apprentice are the mistakes of the master. The master wants him dead, so I'll kill him. Just remember that. He's not strong enough. No one's that strong."  
Medusa hissed at him.  
"He'll beat you. He'll tear you apart, and send your remains back, just so your _master_ can see how futile it is to try to attack him."  
"He had no ability to go to the upper floors, but I'll make it a point to beat him into the ground. I will make him despair when his strongest is not enough."  
"Just remember, his exile is over. The ban is lifted. There is nothing stopping him from coming for you."

* * *

"Bell, did you get a supporter when I left?"  
"I'm sorry, I didn't. I don't know how to look for a supporter very well."  
"It's fine, then. I'll help you look before I leave again."  
"You're leaving again?"  
"I have some, friends, to see. Don't worry, I'll show you how to find a supporter before I go."  
Bell nodded, a smile on his face.  
"Thank you. Can we get something to eat? I'm a little hungry."

* * *

"Get back here, you little runt!"  
The hooded girl looked back, before turning around again, only to run into Bell. She rushed past him, hiding behind him. The man approached threateningly.  
"Hey, give me the girl."  
Bell stood his ground.  
"No."  
The man raised an eyebrow, gesturing with his broadsword.  
"Why not? After all she's done, she needs to be punished accordingly."  
"I said no."  
"Weren't you listening to me? You can't trust her. She'll lie and steal from you."  
"I don't care. I'm not giving her to you."  
The man growled, taking up a combat position. Bell drew his knife.  
"Bell. Don't run off like that."  
The man looked at the masked man approaching them, black cloak billowing menacingly.  
"You! You're that masked man, the one who made a minotaur scream."  
He sheathed his sword, and started backing away, but the masked man waved a gauntleted hand.  
"Don't mind me. I'm just here to watch."  
The man panicked and ran, the masked man sighing.  
"Make one minotaur scream, and everybody makes a big deal of it."  
He glanced at the hooded girl.  
"She'd make a good supporter for you, Bell. A little weak, but still, a good supporter."  
The girl glared at him. He laughed.  
"I know that look, child. It's a look that says, you adventurers are all the same. Tell me child, do we look the same as the other adventurers? Would _they_ protect a supporter like yourself?"  
The girl shook her head.  
"Of course not. I know how it feels, to be helpless. Child, meet us tomorrow. We have work to do, and my brother here will be in need of a supporter."  
The girl nodded, then vanished into the shadows. The masked man sighed.  
"I can still see you. It's not impressive."  
Footsteps echoed, running away.

* * *

The men looked at the merchant in disbelief.  
"I don't believe what you just said."  
"I'm telling the truth. That guy has items of extreme value. They must have come from a floor much lower than the farthest any current adventurer has gone."  
"Even the Loki familia?"  
"Farther than them. I don't know who he is, but he's got to have really good equipment if he can go to floors that low, and get loot worth that much."  
"I don't believe that the items he brought were worth ten _billion_ valis each."  
The merchant nodded.  
"If you don't believe me, that's fine. But I still need the money for the items."  
"Do you think we can just get twenty billion valis by tomorrow? That's a huge amount of money. What does he even need it for, anyway? He could get anything he wanted. He wouldn't have to go into the dungeon for years?"  
"Maybe he wants better equipment, directly from Hephaestus?"  
"What would he even need better equipment for? He obviously is stronger than all of us."  
Blaec entered the room, grinning.  
"Gentlemen, ladies. Allow me to, _enlighten_ you with a few important details concerning the masked man."  
The men jumped up.  
"How did you get in here? This place has unbreachable defenses!"  
Blaec's grin widened,as he casually adjusted his black and white trench coat.  
"I have my ways. Now, do you want information, or not?"

* * *

"You did arrive, as I requested of you."  
The hooded girl shook her head slowly.  
"It was more of an order than a request."  
"Nonsense, child."  
"Stop calling me child. I have a name, you know."  
"And what would it be?"  
"Liliruca Arde."  
"So, Ruca, then."  
The girl took of her hood, revealing short maroon, with round dog ears, and a cheerful face full of confusion.  
"Not Lili?"  
"No. That's too easy, too simple. No thought would be put into shortening a name like that, if I just called you Lili."  
Her confusion deepened.  
"But why do that for me? I'm just a supporter."  
"Yes, but I'm not just going to abandon all kindness towards you just because of what you are. It would make me hypocritical it I did."  
"Why would it be hypocritical?"  
"Because I was a supporter once."  
Ruca raised an eyebrow.  
"Really, now?"  
"Yes. I found a strong adventurer, and I became part of a strong familia."  
Ruca noticed how his voice became more melancholic.  
"What happened?"  
"I tried to get stronger, through a method that had, undesirable consequences."  
"Changing your appearance?"  
"That was one part of it. People don't trust people who hide their true face."  
Ruca frowned, but continued.  
"What else happened? You said consequences, implying there were more than one."  
"I'd rather not talk about it."  
Ruca nodded.  
"I see. Let's get going then."  
"I won't be joining you today. I have some, friends to talk to. Instead, Ruca, you will be Bell's supporter. Is that a problem?"  
Ruca shook her head.  
"No, of course not."

* * *

It was around dark when Bell and Ruca walked into the small pub known as Hostess of Fertility. They sat down, and Bell took out some stones, inspecting them.  
"Ruca, what does it mean if a magic stone is colored differently?"  
"I'm sorry, Bell, but I don't know."  
"That's alright. I'll just ask the masked man. Eat, you did well today. This expedition was a good one for us."  
Ruca nodded, a small smile on her face.  
"Thank you, Bell."

* * *

"Blaec, what did you do?"  
Blaec shrugged.  
"I didn't do anything. What ever do you mean by that pointed question?"  
The masked man clenched his fist.  
"You told people, didn't you."  
Blaec grinned.  
"Maybe. That's not a problem, is it?"  
"It wouldn't be, if they weren't trying to kill us."  
The wall behind them crumbled, and Blaec and the masked man started running. A voice called out behind them.  
"Don't run away, we only want to kill you! Just you, masked man. Probably. Maybe your friend."  
The masked man jumped forward and spun around, grabbing a corner of a building. Upon landing, he pulled the corner, along with the rest of the building, collapsing it into the street. The group of men stopped, then scrambled over the rubble, continuing their chase. Eventually, the two ran through an alley, into the next street over.  
"Why don't we just evade them?"  
"Because you can't do that, and if they get you, they'll know too much. _They'll_ get them. I won't allow that. Let them live in ignorance. They'll live longer that way."  
Blaec grinned.  
"Well, see you later then!"  
He ducked into a crowd, and the masked man couldn't see him anymore. He glance around, before seeing the group of men still chasing him. He quickly ran into an alley. The men pursued right after him, only to find the alley devoid of their target.  
"Where'd he go?"  
"Check the area. I know he couldn't have gotten far. Find him!"  
The men ran around, looking in the street connecting to the alley, as well as the alley itself. Eventually, they had to give up.  
"How does someone hide like that?"  
"They were wearing all black. They probably hid, then left when we weren't looking."  
"We would have noticed if he left though."  
"True. I'm not sure how he did it, but he did. He's got good equipment, that's for sure."

 **A/N: Blaec means black or white. Clever naming skill goes to me.  
PS. The black stain is important later on.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I'm still alive, just posting late. I made the chapters have a format now!  
Not much to spoil; a little canon happens, important reveals with Blaec and the masked man.  
PS: Is it Bate or Bete? I've seen it both ways.**

"Um, Bell?"

"Yes, Lili?"

"Wouldn't it be a good idea if you got some armor before going to the lower floors?"

"Now that you mention it, I think it would be a good idea. Let's go look for some armor."

* * *

"Hey, Lili, have you found anything good yet?"

"No, Bell. Have you?"

"No, let's keep looking."

They continued looking, until Bell found a box of light armor.

"Hey, Lili! I found a set!"

"Oh, really Bell? Let me see."

"Here. It's really light, so I'd be able to move around a lot when I'm wearing it."

"That looks good, Bell."

"Thanks, Lili."

Lili smiled, nodding. "Well, this is a good set. A bit expensive, but I have enough."

He looked at the signature on the armor. "Welf Crozzo, huh?"

They carried the box out after paying for it, and parted ways for the day.

* * *

"Blaec."

"Yes?"

"How did you escape?"

"Well, that was easy. I just hid in the crowd."

"It's not that simple. I couldn't see you, yet you were the tallest one there."

"Eh, don't tell, alright? Something happened after that _incident_ in the lower floors. I don't know how, but after a while, I found out something."

"What?"

"I can see again."

The masked man's eyes widened.

"Your eyes are made of glass, Blaec. How do you see?"

"I'm not sure. But you have my eyes, has anything different happened with your vision?"

"No. However, I'm sure _he_ has something to do with it."

Blaec shook his head.

"No. You have my eyes, and I haven't gone back down there since you were banished."

"The ban has been lifted, you know. It's been ten years, but I can go back."

"You already went back, didn't you?"

"Yes, as soon as the ban was lifted."

A smile slowly formed on Blaec's face.

"You went to see Medusa, didn't you?"

The masked man's tone was even. "Yes."

Blaec leaned back. "I should have known. You could never forgive yourself for killing her, even if she did resurrect with almost none of her memories."

"Yes, I do regret that, even now. She's forgiven me, of course."

"Hey, did you get a new adventurer?"

"Yes, his name is Bell Cranel. He's a level one rookie adventurer. I'm not trying to replace you."

Blaec waved a hand dismissively.

"It can't be helped. What does he look like? I can't see much, only vague shapes and _very_ limited color."

"He has red eyes, white hair, and looked a bit like you when we first met."

"You're not replacing me, I know. We can't restart when we've come so far. You're getting stronger, even with your limits."

The masked man chuckled.

"Only strive for greater than you limit."

"With you, that's a little difficult. How's the mask holding up?"

"It's fine. No cracks yet, and I've made sure to grow slowly, so it can adapt."

Blaec nodded, resting a hand on the masked man's shoulder.

"That's good. You're his supporter, so you need to help him get stronger."

"I know, I am a supporter. It is my duty to my adventurer to assist him always, to support him on the path he chooses, no matter where that path may lead, and to always protect him when he cannot, no matter the consequences that may fall upon me."

Blaec looked down.

"I know it's hard for you, but I know you can do it."

The masked man rested a hand on Blaec's shoulder.

"I will always support my adventurer on the path he chooses. _Always_."

Blaec smiled, running a hand through his black and white hair.

"So, that's how it is, huh? So, what path will you choose for yourself?"

"Never the path of another. I will forge the path I take with my own hands. My path will be the bridge that spans between the ones I support, and what they wish to achieve."

Blaec's smile broke into a full grin.

"Then let's do it. To fight with my very soul -"

"- That's what makes an adventurer. To fulfill the wishes of those I hold close, no matter how evil those wishes shall become - "

"That's what makes a supporter."

The masked man shook his head.

"That's what makes a _friend_ , Blaec. I have seen what you have seen, and I have paid the extreme price for saving you. But I don't regret it at all. I have formed a new creed."

He cleared his throat, staring into Blaec's blank eyes.

"If you fall to evil, to the terror makes your very soul despair, I will be their to guide you. If you lose everything, I will give what I have left to make you whole again. If you stray from the path you sought to forge, I will be there by your side to make a new one. That's what makes a supporter, that's what makes a friend."

Blaec chuckled.

"I don't have much to top that off, but I can try. If you fall to those with ill intent towards you, I will protect you with all my strength. If you cannot stand and fight, I will fight for us both. No matter what you believe, I will always fight, so that we can triumph over our foes. That's what makes an adventurer."

They let go of each other, then clasped each other's hand, Blaec's grin widening.

"We will never surrender to those who oppose us, for we shall not falter. We will not look back on past events that have faded into obscurity, and we shall always triumph."

The masked man nodded.

"I like it. At its least it is impressive, and at its greatest, it is a creed that is truly understanding of who we are."

* * *

Bete rubbed the mark on the right side his face, even as he killed monsters left and right.

"That mark won't come off if you keep rubbing it."

Bete snarled at Ais. "I know that! I've tried washing it, rubbing, even burning and then healing it, but it still hasn't come off yet!"

Ais sighed. "Bete, whatever he did to you -"

"He? Ais, that man is not a he, and he's not a man at all. He's a monster."

Ais stared hard at Bete. "No, he's not. I know him. He's not a monster."

Bete sighed. "Did you look under his mask, Ais? Did you see what he is? He's not normal. I was wrong to say he couldn't make a minotaur scream in pain."

His eyes widened, as if he was seeing something that frightened him.

"He could make anything scream in pain."

He shuddered. "Come on, I don't want to go back when it's dark out."

The entire area went dark, and Ais heard a scream. When the light came back, she noticed three things. The first was a new person had joined their group, with black and white hair, and wearing a black and white trench coat, with matching gloves. In his hands were two longswords, one black, one white. The second thing she noticed was every monster in the area was gone, their magic stones lying on the ground. But the third, and possibly most important thing she noticed, was Bete on the ground in a fetal position, eyes wide, shaking.

"He's here, he's here, he's here. I don't want to die. Don't let me die."

The man glanced over, chuckling even as he stared with blank, black eyes.

"Oh, come now, I may be called a monster, but I'm not _that_ scary looking."

Ais stared at the newcomer.

"I take it you know the masked man."

The man nodded, grinning. "Indeed I do. By the way, my name's Blaec. I take it you've met the masked man before?"

Ais nodded, and the man tilted his head towards Bete.

"This little guy here did something he really shouldn't have. I suppose it's because my supporter wants help for upcoming battles, but really, he's not getting much if this is all this guy is."

Bete looked at Blaec, his eyes mixed with fear and anger.

"Have you seen under his mask? He's a true monster, worse than anything down here."

"Well, I'd have to argue with that one. You see, about a decade ago, I found something in this dungeon that truly haunted me, something worse than anything I could imagine to ever exist."

"What was it?"

Blaec stopped grinning, his face full of melancholy.

"I found a place where the dungeon changed. The monsters there looked human, or almost human at the very least. But the worst thing, although I had seen it as something good at the time, was that they could think like a human. Fantastic, I thought. Who would have imagined that there would be something like this so far down in the dungeon? Monsters that could empathize with us, lay down their weapons, and make peace with us. We wouldn't have to worry about dangers past these floors, and the amount of money we could make by simple trading would be good to. Our stats would improve by spars, and we wouldn't have to kill them, because they could think like us."

Bete stood up, tilting his head slightly. "Then what made it so bad?"

Ais nodded.

"Where they came from."

Blaec nodded, his grin returning.

"Ah, the girl gets it right! Yes, where the monsters came from. They didn't come from the walls, and I suspected the dungeon didn't even create them. So, what did? I went to lower and lower floors, with almost completely human monsters, and what I found there was truly terrifying."

"What was it? Tell me already!"

"The creator of all monsters. You see, the power _he_ wields is more than enough to give every monster humanlike intelligence, but don't tell the masked man that. Instead, he hid himself away, feeding off of adventures that the monsters managed to kill, no matter how weak. _He_ gave the monsters on the lower levels more strength, more power, so that the closer an adventurer got to _him_ , the more powerful they would have to be, so that _he_ could kill and consume only the strongest adventurers."

"And he didn't kill you?"

"Oh, no. _He_ did. It was quite painful, really. But that's what a supporter is for. He sacrificed the majority of his power to return what I lost, losing a lot in the process. That's why he looks as he does now. That mask is part of his magic. If he ever destroys that mask, he'd die. Although, I'm sure it's a skill by now. He said it was magic, but he's had the mask active for ten years now."

Bete's eyes widened.

"Ten _years_? That's not possible. Magic doesn't last that long."

"Oh, but this magic has lasted for long periods of time. The mask prevents injuries to whoever is wearing it, and the injuries return all at once when the mask is destroyed, or dismissed. I usually fought large waves of lower level monsters, and he went forward to challenge the floor boss. When I get there, the boss is weakened enough that I can continue the fight, finish it, then he releases the mask, and I tend to his injuries."

"Magic is a trump card, to only be used as a last resort. What you just described doesn't sound like a trump card to me."

"Oh? Even when you unleash your most powerful attack at him, and he walks through it like it never even happened? That sounds like a trump card to me. But the duration make it hard to believe that it's magic, but it needs to be actively activated by chant, so it can't be a skill."

Ais nodded.

"It's a magic with long-term effects. I can see that. My magic can last longer than an instant."

Bete looked at her.

"Yeah, but not for _ten years_."

Ais ignored him, addressing Blaec.

"So, how did you get here, and why?"

Blaec nodded.

"Well, I have a skill, that whenever I unsheathe both my swords, I teleport close to the masked man's power. Seeing as your friend over here had some of the masked man's power, I suppose that the teleport sent me to the closest source. As for why -"  
He spun around, towards where Ais and her party had been traveling to before, and swung his swords down, parallel to each other. Bete's eyes widened.

"When did those things get here?"

"Ah, so you _can_ see them. If you can do that, stop being lazy and help me!"

Bete jumped up, dashing and kicking at what seemed to be thin air. Ais tilted her head.

"What are you attacking?"

"If you can't see it, then you almost can't interact with it. This only applies to adventurers. Monsters can fully interact with monsters, so they can completely interact with _these_ monsters. If you don't touch them, they'll ignore you."

Blaec continued hacking away at the invisible creatures, Ais standing still, and still unable to see the creatures. Bete was still fighting the invisible creatures, until blood dripped from a cut on his upper leg.

"Hey, kid. Don't let them get you. These guys aren't that strong by themselves, but as a group, it's not easy to kill all of them."

"I can see that. This cut is nothing."

Bete tried to move, but fell when trying to move the injured leg.

"They also paralyze living things they cut."

"You couldn't tell me this before why?"

"I like to think of myself as a teacher. Girly, get the kid out. Kid, don't let any of these guys get past you on your way out. Even if nobody can see them, they can still attack. If either of you have some kind of area effect spell, use it now. I'm not joking. You'd only be able to fight by touching them."

Ais nodded, then drew her sword.

"Awaken, Ariel."

A strong blast of wind surrounded her body, and she could feel extreme resistance as she carried Bete. _Some things_ were trying to get her. Blaec glanced at her expression chiefly.

"They're after the kid, not you. I'll distract them until you get out of here."

Ais nodded, picking up the pace, her speed rapidly increasing. Blaec grinned as she vanished from sight.

"Alright, who wants to fight a _real_ monster?"

He swung both swords away from his body, and many deep gouges formed on the walls. Dark auras formed on both his white and black swords, spreading to his arms. His grin widened, becoming increasingly bloodthirsty.

"Now, let's begin."

* * *

"Ais, I'm fine, let me go already."

"You cannot fight with a paralyzed leg."

"Ais, I'm fine. I can still fight with one leg."

"No."

"Ais, you can't go much more either. They're getting to you, I can see them, and you can't. Let me go, and I'll buy you some time to get out of here."

"No."

Bete struggled, but Ais still held firm to him, carrying him across their current floor. Sparks flew around her, as the invisible creatures clashed with her magic.

"Alright, Ais. That should be enough. my leg is fine now, you can look if you want."

Ais looked down, seeing black lines across Bete's injured leg. He moved it around, showing her that he could indeed, move his leg.

"Ais, let me go already."

Ais looked conflicted, but let Bete go anyway. He jumped up, lashing out at the invisible creature, a bloodthirsty grin spread across his face.

"Finally! I can really beat down on these weaklings!"

He spun, the black boots blasting the creatures away from Ais. She could feel the pressure on her magic lighten, and she swung her sword at several sparks, feeling brief resistance, after which no more sparks were generated in the area.

She narrowed her eyes, then continued swing at any sparks she could see around her, her swings quickening after each hit.

"Ais, look out!"

Bete swung his leg with immense power, striking an invisible creature behind Ais, then snarling at it.

"So, you want to fight? I'll show you a fight!"

"Bete, don't be reckless."

Bete just laughed.

"Don't worry, this will be over soon enough."

He crouched, then lunged at the invisible creature, striking with his legs.

"Something so weak is barely worth my time!"

He was proved wrong an instant later when he was flung across the room, crashing into the wall. Ais stared at him.

"I told you to not be reckless."

Bete sat up, growling.

"I _know_ that."

He got up again, the black lines spreading across his legs. "Don't mess with me, _weakling_!"

He lunged again, and Ais shook her head. "So reckless."

"I'm _not_ weaker than some overgrown bug!"

Bete snarled, lunging and unleashing a decimating kick to the invisible creature. Ais thought for a moment.

"I get it now."

Bete looked back for an instant, addressing her.

"What do you get?"

"They have a high defense, but weak offense."

Bete nodded.

"So, if our attacks are more powerful than their defense, we can kill them."

"Let's end this quickly."

They continued their fight, slashing at the insects, for Bete, and the invisible creatures for Ais. Ais was reaching a difficult solution, however.

' _How long can I make Ariel last like this?'_

"Hey, Ais, let me fight them. You're getting tired, and these guys are really weak."

Ais nodded, and the two moved around so that Bete was roughly in the center of the swarm. he took a breath.

"Hey, weaklings! _Fight me_!"

He braced himself, and spun around and struck at the swarm with decimating kicks.

Again.

And again.

 _And again._

Ais ran toward the entrance of the room, and, striking the rocks above it, collapsed the wall, preventing escape. She left the opening that led to Blaec clear. She turned and watched as Bete continued fighting, various scratches forming on his armor, even as he blocked.

Her eyes widened as she saw Bete fall. She rushed to help him, Ariel active, but she was blocked by an invisible wall of the creatures she _still_ couldn't see. She swung her sword, and dashed through the opening formed by it. She knelt above Bete, protecting his body with her magic. He looked up with resentment in his eyes.

"Hey, I'm not going to die, you know. I'll be fine soon enough."

"They can still injure you."

"If you run, and block off the entrance, you'll make it. Tell everyone else not to come to this part of the floor. I'll be fine."

"I'm not leaving."

"Aw, how sweet. Kid, you did your job, but dying won't help anyone here."

Bete glared in Blaec's general direction. Blaec simply chuckled.

"Now, You two need to close your eyes, and get as close to the ground as possible. Girly, make a shield as strong as you can to cover you both."

Ais nodded, laying down next to Bete, and covering both of them with Ariel. Blaec grinned, madness in his expression as he sheathed his white sword, grasping the black one with both hands.

"Now, let's see how well you handle _this_!"

He swung his black sword horizontally with tremendous force, and the entire room was filled with darkness.

Moments passed.

"Hey, you two can get up now."

Ais and Bete opened their eyes. The entire had been carved smooth by the attack, the walls seemingly polished by the sheer force of the swing. They looked at Blaec, who was panting slightly.

"It's been a long time since I've done something like that."

"What are you?"

Blaec chuckled softly.

"What am I, she asks? Well, I had an epithet once. It was, 'The first to kill'. I was known to have the strongest attack of any adventurer. That was uncontested."

"What about the masked man?"

"He was known as, 'The last to die'. Fitting, with his magic, after all."

Blaec fell to one knee, his breathing heavier. He raised a hand.

"I'll be fine. Just clear the opening, and get out of here."

The two nodded silently before doing as Blaec instructed. Bete looked back.

"You're really strong, you know. I can respect that. But _don't_ think you're stronger than me!"

"I wasn't thinking if, kid."

"I have a name, you know. It's Bete Loga. Remember it, Blaec."

"Of course, Bete. I'll remember it."

Blaec collapsed, his body disappearing in a mixture of black and white.

"He said he'll be fine. He probably has means to recover in a safe spot."

"Bete, we're leaving."

"Right."

 **A/N: Even though Ariel has a strong offensive power, the invisible insects have _stronger_ defensive power. But, the invisible insects have a much weaker offensive power than Ariel has defensive power. Paralyze, _then_ attack the immobile prey when they can't defend. So, kinda sorta maybe balanced.  
Bete, don't die if it's pointless to do so. (He's actually being somewhat good in the story. Yay.)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Plot happens!**

"I have to say, Bell, I'm impressed with your growth so far."

' _I bet it's because of that masked man. He's putting Bell in worse and worse situations, I can feel it.'_

"I know goddess, isn't it great? It's only been a month and a half since I started, and yet I've grown a lot stronger."

"Don't get too cocky, Bell. You need to know your limits."

"Yes, goddess. But, if I become strong enough, I won't have to be protected by the masked man anymore. I'll be able to protect others."

Hestia nodded.

"Yes, that is good. Just be careful, alright?"

"I promise, goddess."

* * *

The silverback tilted its head as it looked at the small creature. The creature in question wasn't anything special, simply just a small black leech.

That was, until the leech jumped and bit the silverback's head.

Even though a savage roar tore through the room, silencing the other loud caged monsters, it was still unheard by the guards, or just ignored.

* * *

"Do it."

"No."

"It could be important."

"If it's another one of _his_ monsters, then it will just come after us. We can wait."

"And if it hurts innocents?"

Blaec looked at the masked man.

"There are almost no innocents here. The ones that are will definitely run away."

"What about Bell?"

Blaec paused, thinking about it.

"I'm not sure. He might fight, but even if he does, he'll definitely win."

The masked man chuckled.

"Of course he will."

"He's a lot like you, when you first went into the dungeon. No ill intent when we fought the monsters. No pride, no selfish desires. You even tried to talk some of the bosses into not fighting you, and letting us pass."

"I was young and foolish then."

"Bell is still like that. I can't see any ill intent when he fights. He's fighting for a purpose other than his own selfish gain."

"The only question is how long will he stay like that?"

Blaec sighed.

"Yeah. That's the real question."

* * *

Bell was getting tired.

He struck, dodged, and struck again.

He was tired.

' _No matter what, I will get stronger. I will get stronger to protect.'_

He dodged, then slashed with his knife, turning the monster to ash that quickly dispersed. He paused, finally at a floor entrance free of monsters.

"This is a good place to head back."

"Bell."

"AH! Don't scare me like that!"

The masked man chuckled.

"Bell, I have a question for you."

Bell tilted his head.

"Yes?"

"What is your purpose?"

"My purpose?"

"Yes."

"Well, it would have to be to get stronger."

"Why?"

"So I can protect others. You've protected me so much since I came here, so I want to be able to return the favor, and protect you."

"Protect me?"

"Yes. If I can protect you, then I can definitely protect others too."

The masked man chuckled.

"That's going to have to be a really powerful opponent if I need protecting."

"I think you're being just a bit arrogant now."

"No, the last time I needed protecting, it was against a monster of immense power. Nothing could stop it. I still have yet to find someone that can."

Bell was silent.

"Has it hurt anyone?"

"It's killed people who tried to kill it."

Bell sat down.

"I guess that's reasonable, even if it _is_ a bit excessive."

"Bell, don't try to fight it. I don't need another adventurer dying because I can't protect them."

"What?"

The masked man sighed.

"Bell, I'm going to tell you my history."

Bell shook his head.

"No, you don't have to say anything if you don't want to."

"I want to, Bell. You'll learn that way."

* * *

Freya looked at the silverback, as the other monsters milled around.

"My, aren't you a strong one. If you do something for me, I can give you a special _reward_."

The silverback tilted his head.

"I don't really care much for your offer, but if your objectives and mine align, I may be inclined to help."

Freya's mouth dropped.

"Did you just talk?"

"Yes. Have you never seen a monster talk before? You _are_ a goddess, after all."

Freya backed away from the cage slowly, smiling.

"You must be something special, then. A rare type of monster, perhaps?"

"No. I am merely an observer for my master. I am both common and expendable."

Freya raised an eyebrow.

"Really now? And just who might you master be?"

The silverback gave a dark, hollow chuckle.

"You remember the incident ten years ago, right? The one with one called 'the last to be killed', 'the first to kill', and my master?"

Freya's eyes widened, as she nodded slowly.

"So, you're from him. This could complicate things."

She stepped back, half turning as she spoke.

"My darlings, I have but a small change of plans."

The other monsters turned, their expressions pleasant. Freya smiled, and turned back to the silverback.

"Get him."

With a unanimous roar, the other monsters charged the silverback, who cracked his neck in response.

"So, goddess, you can't see it. But I know they can."

The silverback lunged.

The other monsters didn't stand a chance.

* * *

"Why do I have to go get supplies? It's not like I need them, anyway."

"Because it helps the familia as a whole, Bete."

"I just hope I don't run into that masked man again."

A man ran up to them, panting.

"Hey, you guys are from the Loki Familia, right? There was a breakout of several monsters at the Monster Festival. Please help us, there's only one left."

Bete raised an eyebrow.

"How can you guys not handle it if there's only one left?"

"Because it is much stronger than the rest. In fact, it killed several of the other monsters, and anyone else that has tried to come near it."

Ais nodded, turning to Bete.

"You go. I'll tell the familia, and meet up with you after."

Bete shrugged.

"Sure. You'd be running for nothing though. I'll take care of it myself."

* * *

"Ah, Bell?"

Bell turned, looking at the blonde girl.

"Ryuu, was it?"

Ryuu nodded, handing him a small wallet.

"Syr dropped this before she left to attend the Monster Festival. Could you please return it?"

Bell took the wallet, and pocketed it.

"Sure. I still owe her, don't I? Come on, let's go, masked man."

The masked man nodded, walking alongside Bell.

"Bell, you remember what I said earlier?"

"About the monsters that could come up from the dungeon now?"

"Yes. I believe there may be one at the Festival. I recall seeing a man talk to Bete and Ais about a monster that escaped during the Festival. It's too strong for the locals to handle it, or any of the monster tamers. We should go kill it before it kills more people."

Bell nodded, frowning.

"What kind of monster is it?"

"I'm not sure, but I speculate that it's a parasite monster. Weak on its own, but it's capable of bonding with and taking over another monster. It's also cunning, so don't underestimate it."

"Can it change hosts?"

"Yes. You can't kill it if it's bonded, but if the host is injured enough, it will leave, making itself vulnerable. Be careful during this time, though. I've dealt with these kinds before. Their natural state is very fast, so it can take you by surprise."

* * *

Bete lightly kicked the ground in front of him.

"What is this? Strong monster, yeah right! I'll end this quickly."

The silverback tilted his head.

"Now now, don't be so condescending towards others. It's rather unbecoming."

Bete was stunned.

"Did you just talk?"

The silverback rolled his eyes.

"You people act like you've never seen a monster talk before."

Bete gave a nervous laugh.

"I've seen a monster talk before, but he's a different kind of monster."

"Oh? What kind of monster is he?"

Bete shivered.

"He wears a white mask, but the rest of his clothing is all black. But that's not the important part. It's what's under the mask. Really, a scary thing. He's really a monster, pretending to be a humanoid. By the way, you've got a thing on your neck. Hasn't anyone told you that, or did they, and you just killed them for it?"

The silverback chuckled.

"So you _can_ see it. Even that goddess couldn't. So you have some of the masked man's power. If I beat you, he'll come for revenge, and I can assess his current strength."

Bete prepared himself.

"Like you can beat me!"

He lunged at the silverback, aiming for the center of his chest.

The kick connected.

It did absolutely nothing.

Bete's eyes widened as he jumped back.

"What?"

The silverback chuckled as he threw a punch at Bete.

"Did you think I was not without resources? I ate all the other monsters, so I have their strength added to my own. As a monster created by my master, my strength is greater than yours. I have but one weakness. You won't live long enough to find out."

Bete ducked, aiming another kick at the silverback.

Once again, it did nothing.

"What is with this guy? There's no way he can be stronger than me. I am not weaker than some weak monster!"

He raised his hands to block a backhand from the silverback, but was knocked some distance away. The silverback watched carefully.

"Come out, little adventurer. I know you're still alive."

The silverback narrowly dodged a long piece of wood that flew at him. He looked at the impact site where Bete was, his dorm still obscured by the dust cloud.

A flash of black dashed next to him, before the silverback began bleeding at the neck.

"You've figured it out. I must congratulate -"

The silverback was cut again.

Now he was angry.

He thrust a hand out, narrowly blocking another strike. The black form landed, and finally slowed down.

"Well, you've paused. And with something new, I see."

The silverback inspected Bete's new equipment. A black wolfish helmet, completely covering his face, the sword mark snow white, and visible on the helmet. He wore light, black armor, and clawed gloves. His boots also had claws on them, and Bete's posture was more hunched over. The silverback nodded.

"Very wolf-like."

Bete made no comment.

"I see. You won't talk. Then let's fight!"

The two lunged at each other, ready to fight.

* * *

"Bell, we should hurry. I'm not sure what's happening, but there's something else near the monster. I can feel it. It's not good."

"Right. Let's hurry more, masked man."

The two hurried, running around, looking for the monster.

A sudden howl garnered their attention.

"What was that?"

"I'm not sure. It was close, so we should be near the monster."

The two skidded to a stop when they saw their target.

Or rather, what was left of him.

"What... what happened?"

The silverback was in pieces, several chunks of its body missing. He looked at them, nodding. Bell covered his mouth, and ran away.

"Ah, the masked man. You've finally arrived. Here I thought I would die without fulfilling my mission."

The masked man shook his head.

"No matter what happens, he's still like that."

"Yes, my master is still like that."

He spasmed as the leech was forcefully pulled from his body and crushed, killing both instantly. The three looked at the puller.

"Bete, when I put some of my power into you, it wasn't so you could do something like this. Still, you should've burned the leech. It'll just reform near its master."

Bete snarled at him, his jaws opening, revealing sharp canine teeth. The masked man shook his head.

"Well, I can't do much about it now."

He began to walk towards Bete, holding out his hand.

"Bete, give it to me."

Bete tensed his body, and the masked man stopped.

"I won't go any closer. Give it to me already, Bete."

Bete tilted his head.

"I said, give it to me, Bete!"

Bete's body spasmed violently, then fell writhing on the ground.

"Bete! Bete! Take off the mask already, BETE!"

Bete's hand shot up to his mask, and ripped it off, revealing his face. The rest of his armor shattered, and the mask hung around his neck. He looked at the two.

"What happened?"

The masked man shook his head.

"It may not be best if you knew."

"I remember someone calling my name, but it was dark."

His eyes widened, and he shivered.

"So very dark."

"Well, that would explain a bit. You weren't quite in control of yourself. As for why it was dark, take a look at the mask."

Bete looked at the mask. No eyeholes.

"How will I see if I put this on?"

"You're not supposed to. For the future, don't put it on unless you need to. Your boots should be enough."

"It wasn't enough for the silverback."

"I know. That's why it formed in the first place. You were somewhat close to dying, so the mask formed itself to protect you."

"I almost died because of a weak monster?"

Bete slammed his fist into the ground.

"I am _not_ that weak!"

"Bete, the leech bound itself to a strong host, further increased its strength, then ate several other monsters, adding to its strength again. You were not weak, you were too cocky and believed that the silverback was weak."

Bete sighed.

"Yeah. Thanks, masked -"

Bete stopped, his eyes widening.

"Bete, what's wrong?"

Bete backed up, curled into a fetal position, shuddering.

"Masked man, stay away from me."

"What's wrong?"

"You're a monster, a _real_ monster. That's what's wrong."

The masked man chuckled.

"Here I thought you would get over that."

A new voice entered the conversation.

"Bete. What happened?"

Bete looked at Ais with wide eyes.

"He's here, that's what happened."

Ais turned and bowed to the masked man.

"I apologize for his behavior. He's been like this since you had your talk with him. He refuses to go into dark places, and outright panics if he has to go somewhere like that. He rarely sleeps, so he's a bit paranoid, but when he does, he seems to have terrifying nightmares."

"Ais, that's very surprising."

Ais tilted her head in confusion.

"What is?"

"I think that's the most I've heard you talk."

Ais sweatdropped.

"Really, it is. I haven't heard you talk much, so for this to happen is quite a surprise."

"What about Bete?"

"Well, he's going to have to learn to overcome this fear. I'm not quite sure what he's afraid of, so he's going to have to deal with it himself eventually."

Bell returned, his face pale, looking sick.

"Oi, Bell. Come on, we've got work to do."

Bell nodded weakly, the color beginning to return to his face.

"Okay, masked man. Let's go."

* * *

A deep voice boomed throughout the dark cave.

"Leech, report."

The leech slithered forward.

"Yes. The masked man gave a fraction of his power to a man, so that man is most likely his adventurer, along with the other one. I saw this adventurer when I was looking around. Furthermore, it appears that the power emanates from the adventurer's boots, but can still form other equipment, namely a helmet and armor, both of which are wolf-like in appearance. When he donned this equipment, he seemed to become more feral."

"So, even the adventurers have become nothing more than mindless beasts, only wanting to sate their bloodlust."

"Master, the armor resembled part of the masked man's so-called Devourer Armor."

"... Well, this is troublesome. If the armor is fully formed, then I might even have trouble with the masked man's adventurer. Still, that adventurer deserves some respect then. Not all the adventurers are like that, after all."

"What should we do now, master?"

"First. Determine any allies of the masked man, then make sure they stay out of our way. We can't have them interfering with our goals. Second, send out one of the Devourers to hunt down the masked man. He'll do what he can to defend himself. I wish to see how much he's grown over these past ten years. Finally, send out another Devourer to hunt down the adventurer. Let's see how this so-called Devourer Armor stands up to a real Devourer."

"Yes, master."

The leech slithered away.

* * *

Blaec was not happy.

"He wore the Devourer Armor? Are you insane?"

The masked man held out a hand.

"I only gave him access to the Armory, and the Devourer Armor wasn't in the there to begin with."

"Then tell me how he ended up wearing armor that looks almost exactly like the Devourer Armor then."

"I suppose it might be an Affinity Armor, coupled with the fact that Bete is a werewolf."

"That doesn't explain why the Armor looks almost exactly like the Devourer Armor."

"I'm not sure either."

Blaec glared at the masked man.

"If it is indeed the Devourer Armor, then Bete is in real trouble. It'll be your responsibility to deal with it."

"Yeah, I know. I told him not to wear the mask unless he really needs it."

"What about Bell?"

"He ran away when he saw what happened to the silverback. He'll be fine though. If I have to be honest, I think this might be an issue, since Bete will be targeted."

"Should you send Bell to help Bete?"

"Absolutely not. Bete's too prideful for that to happen."

Blaec crossed his arms.

"You know, an encounter with an actual Devourer can change that."

"You shouldn't say that, even as a joke. You remember last time, right?"

"Yeah, that group almost killed us. But it'll only be one this time, since Bete's not a threat."

The masked man nodded.

"That is true. I'll have Bell join up with the Loki Familia, if it's okay with them. Since you can already teleport yourself to Bete, it's only natural that I have a way to get there if help is needed."

"Can't have another incident with the Volucris."

"True, they did seem a bit too aggressive to simply be defending their territory, especially if they didn't attack earlier."

Blaec shrugged.

"I'm just happy the backlash from the spell wasn't too bad."

"Of course, that doesn't mean you're free from punishment for going alone, and introducing Bete and Ais to his particular brand of monsters."

Blaec paled, backing up.

"Hey now, let's not overreact about that. I did help them, didn't I?"

The masked man cracked his knuckles.

"Of course, Blaec."

Blaec sighed in relief, but the masked man wasn't done talking.

"But that only lessens the punishment a little. Don't worry, think of it like training to make up for the ten years you've been slacking off."

Blaec gulped.

 **A/N: Literal. Plot. Armor.** **What have I done?** **Also, humor. Poor Blaec.**

 **Well, the "invisible" insects get a name. Volucris is latin for insect.**

 **I'm so original!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Wow, things get real here. Don't underestimate the skills of canon characters.**

Bete grit his teeth.

"So, what you're saying is that I can't defend myself against this, Devourer?"

Blaec nodded.

"If you could, I wouldn't be here."

Bete growled, and Ais put a hand on his shoulder, looking at Blaec.

"What makes them strong?"

Blaec sighed, rubbing his chin.

"Strength, speed, stealth, stamina. That's the minimum that makes them so difficult to kill. They have black fur, claws, no eyes, a spiked tail, and their mouths generally have two rows of teeth. For strength, I would suggest having high defense, of course. Going into speed, would mean high defense and agility for close combat. Detection is a must to prevent ambushes, and stamina is something you'd need too."

"Will Ariel be enough to counter everything except stealth?"

Blaec shook his head.

"If you could defend against the Volucris, the invisible insects you encountered in the dungeon earlier, but couldn't kill them with it, then it's not enough. Still, the overall stat increase would be helpful. I'll see if the masked man can get something to help you with it. In the meantime, this guy is going to stay with you to help against any attacks."

"So, the little rabbit is going to try to help us defend against something we _can't stop_?"

"No. Bete, you might be able to stop one by yourself. But doing such would be too risky. The three of you are going to _delay_ any attack until the masked man or I come over and kill it ourselves. If there's a monster you didn't expect that shows up, then call for us, but you can still fight it, if you think you can kill it. I just don't want to have to take responsibility for adventurers dying because they weren't prepared."

Ais nodded.

"I understand."

Blaec nodded.

"Now girl, what kind of equipment do you want, and what special properties do you want them to have?"

Bete leaned forward.

"Oh, I don't get anything?"

"Bete, you don't _need_ anything beyond what you have now. Girl?"

"I don't need anything else."

"Okay then. Tell me the ideal set of equipment you'd want to fight a Devourer. Pretend you don't have any of your current equipment, and be as specific as you can."

Ais looked down.

"An indestructible sword, preferably one that stays sharp, strong but light armor, also preferably indestructible. Both should be able to increase the effects of my Magic."

Blaec nodded.

"Is that it?"

Ais nodded.

"Well, your description is more like any adventurer, equipment that doesn't break, magic, all that stuff. I'll make sure to tell the masked man. If he doesn't already have something like that, he'll just make it."

"How much?"

"For the equipment? Probably no charge. The masked man does his nightly rounds to get materials, along with the money to actually buy what he can't get from the dungeon. Actually making a custom set of equipment is more of a challenge for him, so he won't charge for it. He'd rather charge for something he's already made generically."

Blaec grinned, then stood.

"Well, I really should get going if I want to get that equipment started. See you around, Ais, Bete."

He began walking away, humming a tune.

* * *

Blaec walked into a small shop.

"Hey, masked man."

The masked man looked up from the counter he was sitting behind.

"What is it, Blaec?"

"The girl wants some equipment."

"Oh?"

"Custom."

"Right. I'll get right on it."

The masked man stood up, then walked toward the back of the shop. Blaec raised an eyebrow as he followed.

"So, is it going to be Forged equipment, or just regularly made?"

"Forge made. I always make custom sets that way. If you want to enchant it later, you can."

Blaec nodded, walking back out.

"The kid's with them, so there shouldn't be too much difficulty for any attacks. They should be able to handle most attacks in the dungeon from _his_ monsters. You think the kid'll be ready for when he needs to fight?"

"He's been in the dungeon for a little over a month now. With his growth rate, he'll be ready in about a year."

"And Bete?"

"He has the Devourer Armor. He's fine for now. He might rush in, but he has the armor to rely on if things get out of hand. I'd say the end of the year is when he'll be ready with the armor."

"And the girl?"

"When I'm done with her equipment, she'll be able to take on most of the higher level enemies."

"Even _him_?"

" _We_ couldn't take him on and come out of there alive. The three of them _might_ be able to, if they fight together well enough. I'm calling in my favor from Loki. Tell her that, and that I'll provide anything requested after, within reason, of course."

"Then you should hurry up on the girl's equipment. I'll get started on that right away."

"Good. Stay on the surface, and you can use the clearing for training."

Blaec nodded, grinning.

"Then, it's time to get started."

* * *

"No. Ais and Bete are important in our expedition group, and we planned for this expedition a while back."

Blaec frowned, then bowed his head.

"Please, Loki. We need them for training purposes. When we're completely done, the three of them will work well as a team, and be enough to beat _him_."

Loki raised an eyebrow slightly.

" _Him_?"

"You remember the incident ten years ago, right? Besides, the masked man is calling in his favor for this, and he says he'll provide anything requested after, within reason, of course."

Loki scowled, crossing her arms.

"Fine. But he's going to pay for this. Bete, Ais, you can go with him. Take the kid with you."

"Hey! I'm only two years younger than Ais. I'm not a kid."

"Kid, as far as I'm concerned, you're still a kid. I'm too old to be putting up with your shenanigans."

Bete raised an eyebrow.

"Did you just say shenanigans?"

"Yes. More importantly, we need to start training."

Ais nodded.

"I understand."

Bete sighed.

"Fine."

Bell nodded in agreement.

"Let's get started, then."

* * *

"Master, one Devourer is ready. Another will be ready soon."

"Give him a sword, and send him after the girl. She might be a threat."

"Even if she can't see us, master?"

"Even so, she is quite strong, and motivated to become stronger. If their strongest fail, then the adventurers that follow her will become demoralized, and they will stagnate."

"Yes, my master. Which sword should I give him?"

"The girl's weapon is weak, yet enchanted to be unbreakable. Give him the Slaughterer sword, and send him to the surface."

"Yes, my master."

* * *

Bete looked around at the clearing, observing the terrain.

"Nice place you got here."

Blaec nodded.

"Of course. It's the same place the masked man and I train."

Ais nodded slightly.

"What do we do now?"

"We fight. The three of you, against me. Don't get in each other's way, don't injure each other."

Bell tilted his head.

"How will that help us against a Devourer?"

"A Devourer is about the size of a human, and I'm probably only a little smaller than a mature one."

He took out his swords, one at a time, then settled into a defensive position.

"My fighting style isn't exactly the same as one, though, and I lack the stamina to overcome one easily. However, it should be enough to get you guys strong enough to withstand an attack from one."

Bete crouched.

"Just remember, you two: Don't get in my way."

He lunged at Blaec, quickly swinging a leg to strike. Blaec moved, staying in front of the kick, thrusting with the black sword.

Bete dodged.

Blaec threw the sword. The spinning blade flew harmlessly past Bete, toward Ais, who blocked easily, knocking it high into the air. She rushed Blaec, thrusting her sword, nearly impaling Bete in the process.

"Hey!"

Blaec stepped back, then grinned.

"Aren't you forgetting someone?"

He ducked and flipped Bell, who had attempted to stab him from behind, over his body, then jumped back. A whirling noise caught the three's attention. Bell was the first to realize the problem.

"Move!"

The black blade barely missed them, spinning back into Blaec's hand.

"Enchanted blades are very useful. Difficult to use, but that's easily remedied with training."

He threw the black sword again. The three spread out, keeping track of their opponent, as well as the sword, still flying through the air.

"Figure out the opponent's strengths, then nullify them to the best of your abilities."

He ran to the side, blocking Ais. He grabbed Bete, and threw him at her.

"I'm not some throwing knife, you know!"

Blaec ducked as a knife flew over his head, then parried Bell's black knife, switching the white sword into his other hand, moving around some more.

"Better, Bell. But not good enough."

Bell disengaged and deflected the black sword, flying once more toward Blaec's hand. Blaec responded by throwing the white sword, then leaping and catching the black sword.

"What are my strengths, you three?"

Bell thought about it, parrying the sword with his knife.

"You can throw your swords well, and pull them back."

Ais shook her head.

"As soon as the sword hits the ground, it flies directly back to him in a straight line."

"Good job, girl."

She nodded.

"You need to hold one sword to be able to recall the other one."

"Correct again, girl."

She spun, knocking the white sword into the air.

"If the recall is interrupted, the sword has to hit the ground again."

Black nodded, as Ais caught the sword in her free hand. He rushed her, and, catching Bell, threw him into her, knocking them both down, causing the sword to hit the ground.

The sword ripped itself free from Ais' hand, narrowly missing a dodging Bete, and landed back in Blaec's hand.

"You three don't seem to be able to fight together very well. Ais was the only one to actually avoid hurting allies in the middle of combat. Bell, your knife gives you little reach, so you have to get close. Next time, get inside your opponent's reach, then focus on disarming them. Bete, focus on keeping the enemy occupied in close combat, staying inside the reach of their weapon. Ais, you have the longer reach, so use it, instead of running through the enemy. They won't always die in one hit, and you might hit an ally."

The three nodded.

"Alright. Let's take a quick break, then resume. I'll give you some time to make a plan."

* * *

"Any ideas?"

Bete nodded.

"Since the kid is actually somewhat good at dual wielding, he'll catch the sword on the first throw, without having to drop his own weapon. I'll go in on his free side, get inside his reach, and keep him from blocking. Ais goes last, and gets a lethal hit in."

"That's a good idea. Let's go with it."

* * *

"Back already? Must have been a good first plan."

Bete growled.

"Of course it was. It was my plan after all."

Blaec rolled his eyes, before returning to his defensive stance.

"It doesn't really matter if it's your plan. What matters is if you three can beat me."

Bete snarled, then rushed Blaec. Blaec grinned, then threw the black sword.

Bete dodged, getting inside his reach, and grabbed the arm with the white sword in it.

Bell ran and caught the flying black sword.

Blaec chuckled.

"Not the best of plans, taking a weapon you don't know how to wield."

Bell stepped back, as Ais dashed in, sword at the ready to pierce.

"This plan keeps getting worse and worse!"

He dropped the white sword, kicking Bete's feet to position him in between Blaec and Ais, who was forced to stop.

Bell ran past Ais, the white sword flying behind him.

"Get Bete out of the way, dodge the sword."

Ais nodded, running toward Bete and Blaec. She swept Bete's feet off the ground, throwing Blaec off balance, then forced his grip off of Bete.

Blaec dodged Bell's knife, then plucked the white sword out of the air, throwing it at the ground near Bell's feet. Bell accidentally stepped on the sword, pinning it to the ground.

The sword flew up, knocking Bell over, and making him drop the black sword. Blaec sighed.

"Stop for now."

The three stopped, panting.

"You guys did well, but that plan was extremely reckless. You acted without knowing the full extent of the swords' properties."

He sighed.

"It was an okay idea at the beginning, and it might have worked against a different opponent. However, I'm taller than Bete, so I have more leverage ability than him."

He flipped the black blade into a reverse grip.

"I could have also stabbed him this way."

"Wouldn't that have also hurt you?"  
"You'd know if you knew the full abilities of my swords. As it is know, you don't, so you won't know until you find out yourselves. The enemy isn't going to tell you how their weapons and equipment works. You need to learn the strengths and weaknesses of your enemies in order to efficiently kill them."

The three nodded in agreement.

"Don't look so down. If a Devourer attacked us right now, I'm sure you guys would figure out a way to kill it. Probably."

Bete deadpanned.

"Gee, thanks for your vote of confidence."

Blaec grinned.

"Of course."

Bete looked down at the ground beneath him, then jumped back as it exploded.

"Let's see how much confidence you really have in us!"

Blaec scowled at the black creature.

"Why is there a Devourer here?"

He readied his grip as he walked forward.

"What do you want with us?"

The creature nodded at him.

"I'm here to fight the girl. The master sees her as a threat."

"Even though she can't see you?"

"Yes, even so."

Blaec eyes the blood red sword in the Devourer's hand.

"That's an interesting sword you got there. Looks like a Slaughter sword, am I right about that?"

The Devourer nodded.

"Yes. So, you know of this type of sword?"

Blaec nodded grimly.

"May I have a word with the girl before you fight?"

"Fine. Tell her what you want. The master sees her as a threat to be eliminated anyway."

Blaec nodded, then walked over to Ais.

"Ais, there's a monster here that wants to fight you. Before you fight it, we need to talk about its weapons and abilities."

Ais nodded, looking in the Devourer's general direction.

"The sword he has is a Slaughter sword. Anything with the intent to be used as a weapon that hits the sword will explode, generally killing the wielder of said weaponized object, and the sword prevent the wielder from succumbing to injuries until after the fight ends."

"Weaknesses?"

"It passes harmlessly through unarmed enemies."

"I understand."

"Remember the body layout I told you about. Claws, teeth, spiked tail, and a sword."

Ais nodded, walking towards the Devourer.

"Are you ready, girl?"

"She can't hear you, either."

"Oh, right. Touch only."

Ais readied her sword, holding the grip looser than before.

The Devourer lunged, swinging the Slaughter sword at Ais' sword.

Right before contact, Ais dropped her sword, stepped through the Slaughter sword with impunity, and punched the Devourer in the chin, sending it flying. Blaec grinned.

"Good plan."

Ais continued striking the Devourer, landing a few hits, but the latter was quickly recovering. A quick hand chop quickly severed his head from his body, but it was for naught.

"Ais, he can regenerate. Keep that in mind."

Ais nodded, backing up back towards her sword. The Devourer grinned.

"A weapon can't save you, girl."

Ais stopped on top of her sword, nodding towards Blaec.

"Heal me later."

She reached out.

And grabbed the Slaughter sword, even as it cut into her hand.

Naturally, the sword exploded.

The explosion sent shards of metal flying everywhere, hitting both the Devourer, as well as Ais. The now weaponless Devourer snarled at Ais, already regenerating from the blast.

"I'll kill you, girl."

Ais kicked up her own sword, and easily parried the Devourer's reckless attacks. Her eyes narrowed for a moment.

Then she struck.

The blow cleanly severed the head of the Devourer from his body.

A second hit bisected what remained of him.

A flurry of blows shredded the corpse into pieces.

"Awaken, Ariel."

The wind surrounding her body ripped the already small pieces into even smaller pieces, shredding and scattering them. Ais turned to the three, nodding.

"Will he stay dead?"

Blaec nodded. Ais' wounds weren't too severe. Sure, several pieces of the Slaughter sword had cut her, but none of the visible cuts seemed lethal.

"I'll bandages your wounds, if you want. They'll speed up the healing process. Just tell me where to apply them."

Ais nodded.

"Thank you."

* * *

Blaec entered to shop, glancing around for the masked man.

"Blaec. I saw Ais fight a Devourer."

Blaec spun around, facing him.

"Yeah, I let the girl fight one. It was just a newborn one, nothing she couldn't handle."

"Just because she is a high level adventurer, doesn't mean she can go fighting enemies like that."

"It's a huge blow to _his_ pride, though. A young girl took down a floor boss by herself, when she could only touch it."

"She used her magic for that fight, am I correct? Then he knows of it. She'll be at a huge disadvantage the next time she fights a Devourer. Adopt, adapt, adept."

Blaec's expression darkened, his face serious.

"She has the will to get stronger. Fighting stronger enemies makes you stronger. The winner is the one that lives, and gets stronger, and the process continues. For the girl, she can only get stronger."

"What about what happened with the Volucris? Ais was clearly getting exhausted from using her magic for so long against enemies she couldn't kill with just that alone. If you hadn't helped them, then they would be dead. Today, against the Devourer. If Ais hadn't known how to counter the Slaughter sword, she would have died. People stay dead when they're killed, Blaec."

"What about me, then? I died, and I'm still alive."

"You're only alive because I knew how to resurrect you. I sacrificed my body to bring you back. Those three don't have people to do that for them. They're going to die unless you train them to actually fight well together. The next fight won't be a one on one. It's going to be against several Devourers, maybe more. Right now, Bete is the only one that would survive an attack from a mature Devourer, as long as he used the armor."

Blaec looked down.

"Maybe you're right. But that doesn't mean I can't train them. They're strong, you know that. But most importantly, they want to get stronger. I don't need to know the reasons why, but they won't stagnate in their growth. If they don't know how to counter their enemy, they'll live long enough to find a way to win. I will give them my full support for that, even if you won't."

The masked man shook his head.

"Didn't I say, right now? I said that because Bete is the only one with Forge made armor. The other two will be ready as soon as they get their full equipment."

Blaec looked up, one eyebrow raised.

"So, you're really going to help them?"

The masked man chuckled.

"Oh, I intend to humiliate him thoroughly. Three adventurers, taking on his armies? He'd think it ridiculous. Those three winning? It's something I would want to see with my own eyes."

Blaec chuckled.

"As opposed to my eyes."

"Yeah. I'm going to fight him, beat him into the ground, and make him watch as his armies fall."

Blaec grinned.

"So, you have a way to beat him?"

"I asked Hephaestus herself to forge a set of equipment using my Forge, and provided her with any material she said she would need."

Blaec nodded.

"Well, I look forward to that fight. Until then, support your adventurer. Should I give them the equipment now, or at a later time?"

"Now would be best. These sets are strong enough now, but they can also grow as the user grows. The faster they get started with them, the stronger they can become, and the faster they can learn to fight together."

Blaec's grin widened.

"Let's get started, then."

 **A/N: Ais, the bane of floor bosses everywhere. Singlehandedly taking down a floor boss she could only sense by touch? These floor bosses gotta step up their game. Of course, Ais has to remember that she doesn't know everything about her enemy. That's a mistake. Still, she can kill the enemy, albeit with a bit of necessary overkill. Regenerating enemies, people.  
On a different note, healing bandages are really useful when your wounds all come back at once. Seriously, the masked man's magic is going to get him killed otherwise. No wounds equals no healing opportunity. Blaec is really important for that.  
Speaking of Blaec, his swords were really fun to right. The standard magnetic blades, return to the wielder of the other blade. Not exactly to their hand, though. Need to catch them, or things go from fun to painful.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: To Zelda, BellxAis has a 50% chance. Either they do or they don't.**

 **To everyone, I write these chapters the week (read: day) they're posted.**

 **The bulk of this story was written on Tuesday, and the A/N was written on Wednesday.**

The masked man looked curiously at the green-haired waitress. She was an elf, and looked quite familiar, but the masked man couldn't quite figure out why.

Bell walked up to the familiar elf.

"Hey, Ryuu. How's Syr doing?"

The elf nodded.

"She's doing well. She has tonight off, so she's not here right now."

"Ah, okay. Well, see you around."

As Bell walked back to the table to talk with Bete and Ais about more plans, the masked man walked over to Ryuu.

"Ryuu, was it?"

She looked at him.

"You seem familiar. Have we met?"

"You've met me and a friend of mine during the Single Run some time back."

Her eyes widened.

"Masked man? You've changed."

The masked man chuckled.

"I know. Blaec's been a bit busy, so I suppose he hasn't talked to you yet. I'm still sorry about what happened, though."

She shook her head.

"No, he hasn't, but it's my fault. I thought we had more time, but we didn't."

"And you know Blaec's reasoning."

"He could have done it, though."

"He's outside, so you can talk to him about it."

Her eyes widened, as the plate she was carrying found itself placed on the counter, and the elf was off.

* * *

Ryuu exited the Hostess of Fertility, searching frantically.

A pair of arms wrapped around her, preventing her from moving too much.

"Ryuu, don't panic."

She stopped, then sighed.

"Carver. You've decided to come back after ten years?"

"I've been a bit busy since then. Had a bit of difficulty at the end of the Single Run. Based on how you came running outside, you probably met the masked man again already."

The arms released her, and she spun around, a hand ready to slap Blaec.

She stopped when she saw how much he had changed.

"What happened? I know the masked man changed, but not too much, but you've changed a lot."

Blaec ran a hand through his black and white hair.

"Necromancy has its pros and cons. You'd be surprised by just how much the masked man has actually changed."

Her eye narrowed, her expression darkening.

"What. Happened. To. _You_."

Blaec sighed.

"I failed the Single Run at the last boss. If it wasn't for the masked man, I wouldn't be here."

"How did you even survive that? If an adventurer fails to complete a Single Run, they die."

"Necromancer, remember?"

"Dark elf, you mean. What happened to your ears?"

"Well, remember how I said I failed? My body was thoroughly damaged, but the masked man made a new body for me. My soul bonded to the new body, hence the changed appearance. I'm getting the new body to look like my old one, but it's taking time."

"So, what are you exactly?"

"A human with _very_ high magical abilities."

"What happened to the masked man?"

"He... wasn't as lucky. He sacrificed his body to make my new one, so I ended up with a bit of his magic. I used it to make a body around his soul, but it's not exactly what you'd call a normal body."

"What kind of body is it?"

"Do you know what his one of his spells is? The body I made is made of a very destructive part of that. The mask is used to keep that body together. He physically can't take off the mask without risk of damaging the body."

"What exactly is the body made of, Carver? You didn't answer me."

Blaec looked away, then back at her.

"Promise me you won't tell anyone?"

Ryuu nodded, and Blaec whispered in her ear.

Her eyes widened.

"That's impossible."

"Necromancy has its pros and cons. The pro is that you can bring anything to life, given a soul and a body. The con is that it doesn't always work as intended. The masked man has that body, and I had to apply a new Grace to this new body, in the same way as the original Grace."

"You... lost your Grace?"

"Yeah, and I'm pretty sure the masked man doesn't even have a Grace anymore."

"Is the masked man even _human_ anymore?"

"I've been busy trying to fix that. I enchanted the mask to not break as easily, and to grow as he does, but he has to be careful not to overstress the mask. In the meantime, I've spent the last ten years looking through my parents' books trying to find a way to restore his body. I'm sorry for not talking to you in the meantime."

"No, you had your reasons."

"And your familia?"

"I don't forgive you for not resurrecting them, but I can see why now."

"Their bodies were damaged beyond the point of a safe resurrection. If I brought them back, it would be very problematic. I _still_ don't know how you managed to hold out for that long though."

"Very careful rationing of resources, and very good planning. We figured the Single Run had started, and we stayed near the entrance of the floor we were on, so the onslaught wasn't that bad. Except when you got there."

"I'm sorry! We just beat the floor boss from the previous floor, and the floor you were on _was_ a test of intelligence, so I fired first. We were supposed to be the only ones there."

"Still, you could have asked before firing."

Blaec shrugged.

"It happens. I'm sorry, but I don't want to deal with more liches. Not again, anyway. The last one was difficult enough as it was."

Ryuu smiled softly.

"Really, Carver. I thought you would have been more confident in your abilities to handle things like that."

Blaec shrugged.

"I already have one lich to deal with daily, and he's terrifying as it is. Anything else is just a nuisance. No more liches. It's not fair to the rest of the world. And really, who would want to trust me, if they knew the truth?"

"I trust you. Even if I don't forgive you."

"I have my reasons for doing things, and most of them are because I'm selfish."

"Even if it's selfish, if you help people, others won't mind as much."

Blaec grinned.

"Thanks, Ryuu. When I'm done with _him_ , I'll make sure he _stays_ dead. I do want my eyes back, the masked man has dealt with enough, and I'm sure the Gods won't mind."

"Oh, you mean that last boss?"

"Yeah. _That_ guy's almost as difficult to kill as the masked man would be. Almost."

"Almost?"

"At least _he_ can die. I don't know about the masked man."

Ryuu giggled.

"A dark elf necromancer adventurer with a possibly immortal, lich supporter. Really, terrifying to say the least."

"So far, the masked man has taken things slowly, and very well too. Some of the others went rampaging around, and most of the others just killed themselves. There's only a handful of survivors from that."

"Maybe it was for the best you didn't resurrect my familia, then."

"I told you that then, I'll tell you now: Necromancy isn't something to take lightly. Things are supposed to stay dead when the die. Maybe not Little Carver, but still."

Ryuu shrugged, smiling softly, as she returned to the Hostess of Fertility with Blaec.

* * *

"Any other questions?"

"No."

"None."

"None at all."

The masked man nodded.

"Good. Now you know. Blaec should be here shortly to help with training. Bete, get back here."

Bete nudged his chair a little closer to the table, which didn't help much since he was almost at the table behind him.

Blaec entered with Ryu, rolling his glass eyes at Bete's situation.

"Bete, get back to the table. The masked man probably won't kill you."

Bete scooched back again, and Blaec sighed.

"Bete, get your chair back over here, and listen to us."

Bete picked the chair, and walked back to the table, placing the chair back down, Blaec grinning all the while.

"So, what's the plan, masked man?"

"As ironic as this situation is right now, Blaec, the plan is for Bell and me to go through floors one through fifty, and Bete, Ais, and you to search floors fifty down to halfway to him. Three quarters of the way through the dungeon should work well for now. This is a scouting mission, so the people that can't see the lower floor creations will be the ones looking for unusual normal monster activity, and the ones that can will be on guard duty. Minimal engagement is prefered, but fighting to learn is also a good idea."

The three nodded.

"Fair enough."

"Alright."

"Fine."

"Of course."

* * *

In the dungeon, a pair of adventurers, a boy and a girl, were traversing the fifteenth floor.

"Hey, any monsters yet?"

"No, it's really unnerving."

"What do you think happened? I mean, most of the monsters spawn as soon as someone gets close to the walls."

"Try hitting the walls."

The boy rolled his eyes, but complied nonetheless.

Nothing.

"Nothing. Should we just go to the next floor?"

A gust of wind blew behind him.

"Hey, should we go to the next floor?"

Silence. The boy turned around, seeing his partner gone.

"Where did -"

The boy was cut off as _something_ struck him from the side, burning through his plate armor, along with the rest of him.

He was incinerated in the course of seconds.

A deep, multilayered voice echoed through the halls.

"Pathetic. Not even worth eating."

The sound of heavy footsteps could be heard throughout the fifteenth floor.

"Maybe something better will sate my hunger."

* * *

"Masked man, was it really necessary to update our statuses before we went into the dungeon?"

"Of course, Bell. That way, we have a backup of your stats if you lose your Grace."

Bell quirked an eyebrow.

"Lose my Grace?"

"Blaec lost his Grace, and he only got it back by reapplying the backup he had."

"How do one lose their Grace?"

"Being resurrected is the most common way. Discontinuing affiliation with your familia will also do that, if the God or Goddess is feeling particularly spiteful."

Bell paled considerably.

"And you think that's going to happen?"

"No. It might, it might not. Best to be prepared. Blaec's good at planning those kinds of things. If he says to do something like this, it's for the best we do it."

* * *

Bete, Ais, and Blaec had reached the fiftieth floor without incident. All the floors had looked normal, though some of the floors were much more vacant than the two Loki adventurers remembered.

"Here we go, the fiftieth floor. We only have twenty-five floors to go through. Let's be thorough about it. No splitting up, and be on guard. Girl, you drop out after the sixtieth floor."

"Why?"

"You have the upper floors, the middle floors, and the lower floors, then you have the location after which you need a special type of sight to see the monsters."

"Hey, why isn't the little rabbit down here?"

"There's no way the masked man would let the kid down here. As much as he wants you three to work as a team, he knows when to draw the line."

"I see."

The three continued on, looking for unusual monster activity.

* * *

"Good job Bell, fifteenth floor. Ten more, then we're halfway there."

"... Doesn't this floor seem pretty empty?"

The masked man nodded.

"You noticed. I haven't seen a floor in this condition this since the Single Run."

Bell gripped his knife.

He barely had time to dodge, as _something_ nearly crashed into him. He could still feel the searing heat, though, making him grateful for the light, _insulated_ , armor.

The thing crashed into the wall behind him, and a figure emerged from the resulting dust cloud, speaking in a multilayered voice.

"Well, masked man. It's been a while. A new adventurer to challenge me? I saw Blaec and some others go by, but I decided to stay quiet. After all, one adventurer is easier to eat than three."

The masked man growled at the figure, and Bell was quickly confused.

"Masked man, what is he?"

"He's a Chimera. The more of a type of creature it kills and eats, the more it gains the strengths of that creature. It was this floor's boss during the Single Run."

The figure walked out, and Bell took careful note of its appearance.

The head of a minotaur, the jaws of a hellhound, a large, muscular body, and toned, white-furred legs. A trail of silver fur covered part of its chest.

Needless to say, the masked man was not pleased.

"Strength, speed, and strong ranged magic."

The chimera's jaws curved into a sneer.

"Of course, masked man. I eat only the best."

Flames trailed from his mouth, as he steadied himself, ready to fight.

"Adventurer, I challenge you to Single Combat, winner takes all."

"Bell, run. I can kill him. You just get somewhere safer."

"No. I can do this, masked man. I don't need you to protect me right now."

"Are you sure, Bell?"

Bell didn't pause in his response.

"Yes, I can."

"Are you sure, little rabbit?"

The chimera slammed his hand into the wall, pulling out a large sword. The masked man facepalmed.

"Why do people keep stealing my stuff? I really don't appreciate it. First the Slaughter sword, now the Shifter sword."

"What does a Shifter sword do, masked man?"

"Exactly what is sounds like, it can Change its shape into any melee weapon. I wish Blaec was here."

The chimera chuckled.

"I'm sure you do, masked man. The coward took me down without taking any risks, with that accursed bow of his."

He glanced down at Bell.

"Do you think you can beat me with a little knife, little rabbit?"

Bell's expression darkened.

"Of course I can."

The sword seemed to melt, then hardened into a large axe, a weight chained to the end of the handle.

"Then, little rabbit. We start the fight, _now_."

The chimera swung the weight at Bell, the chain lengthening to match the distance.

Bell ducked, and charged.

The chimera pulled the chain back, the latter retracting, and swung the axe, the chain once again lengthening.

Then Bell jumped over the swinging axe, getting closer to the chimera.

The chimera roared, flames erupting from his maw, setting Bell alighty.

Bell covered his face with his hands, rolling around on the ground, extinguishing the flames.

He stood up, and charged the chimera.

He dodged the descending axe, getting closer.

Bell ran the black knife through the chimera's chest.

It did _nothing_.

He realized his mistake too late, as the chimera swept a meaty hand at him, sending Bell crashing into a wall. He groaned, clutching the knife in his hand. A rock had pierced into his spine, and his entire body was growing number with each passing second.

' _Get up.'_

"Is that all you have, little rabbit?"

' _Get up.'_

He gripped the knife tighter, struggling to move.

"Of course not."

' _Move.'_

The chimera grinned, raising the axe.

"It was a quick battle, but I suppose that's a given."

' _MOVE!'_

Bell narrowly rolled out of the way, his legs still limp, as the large axe blade crashed where he had been mere moments ago. He groaned, and propped himself up with his arms. He was hurting, but he had to keep going.

He knew he had to.

' _I, will win.'_

With great effort, he pushed himself to his knees, then his feet. The chimera was watching with an interested expression.

"I'm surprised you can stand in your condition."

Bell wobbled, then steadied himself.

"Don't be."

The axe came down again, but Bell was ready.

' _I will protect.'_

He spun out of the way, and ducked under another swing.

' _I will defend.'_

His body lightened, and Bell lunged at the chimera.

' _I_ will win _.'_

He slashed at the chimera, drawing blood.

Bell was moving faster now.

No, he _was_ faster now.

' _I will be strong.'_

He parried the axe, and, delivering a strong punch, knocked the chimera back.

' _Not for me, but for them.'_

Another slash cut the chimera's jaws, eliciting a roar from the latter.

It didn't matter to Bell.

He parried another strike.

' _I will be the hero.'_

He kept moving, hitting harder with each strike.

No longer, could he hear the sounds of the battle.

No longer, could he taste or smell the blood in his mouth, and on his clothes.

No longer, could he feel the pain.

There was just him, and his enemy.

He knew what to do.

The knife in his hand was already in motion, a final strike to finish the fight.

He saw the head of the chimera fall, his knife cleaving through the neck.

His senses returned, and he collapsed into the masked man's arms, as the chimera screamed in pain.

* * *

Hestia knew something was wrong when the paper in her hands started adding text.

Her discomfort was confirmed when she read the text.

"Bell, what have you done?"

She looked away from the paper, then back.

The text was still there.

She was horrified, and more importantly, _angry_.

* * *

Bell slowly opened his eyes, looking up at the ceiling of the fifteenth floor.

"Oh, good. You woke up."

He looked at Blaec, who was sitting near him, alongside Bete, Ais, and the masked man.

"What happened?"

"It appears you have a new skill: Limit Break."

"What does it do?"

Blaec's expression darkened.

"You gain incredible strength, endurance, and agility, and can overcome just about any obstacle. But, it has a condition to activate."

"What's the condition?"

"You need to be about to die."

"There's something else, isn't there?"

"In order to maintain your life, it starts taking away your senses, leaving only your sight. Even if you take damage, you won't notice. If you take too much damage, you'll die as soon as the fight is over. You hit mind zero, and collapsed. If your injuries weren't as severe as they were, I'd say you could return to the dungeon in the future. It's probable you won't be able to resume adventuring. A rock in your spine will do that to you."

Bell paled.

"Oh."

The masked man sighed.

"Hestia is going to try to kill me when she finds out about this."

 **A/N: Limit Break. Like the sustain part of the Slaughter sword, but better. Well, maybe not.**

 **[Limit Break:**

 **When the owner of this ability is about to die in combat, they gain incredible strength, endurance, and agility.**

 **In exchange, they can no longer feel pain, and may succumb to their injuries after leaving combat, and die.]**

 **Well, that went well for Bell. Rock in his spine, possible paralysis.**

 **To be honest, he was _supposed_ to die, but the word count was under three thousand words.**

 **Don't worry, Blaec would have resurrected him.**

 **Probably.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Short Chapter. Anyways, Blaec's reaction is completely justified.**

Bell's eyes widened.

"Wait! Goddess wouldn't do that!"

He jumped up, clasping the masked man's hands.

"We should talk to her before anyone acts rashly!"

The masked man chuckled as he looked at Blaec dumbfounded expression.

"Blaec, you owe me a training session."

"But, but, but, His spinal cord was _severed_! I saw it myself when I took out the rock! That's not something someone can just ignore! How is he even standing right now?"

The masked man shrugged.

"You're the medic, not me."

"This doesn't even make sense right now! The rock was lodged in between two shattered vertebrae, and it severed his spinal chord there."

Bell twisted, then arched his back.

"Seems fine to me."

"That _still_ makes no sense. Limit Break prevents you from dying until you win, it doesn't _reconstruct your spinal cord_ after you've won."

Bell shrugged.

"I don't know how, but it works for me."

"Bell. You had a rock in your spine. It shattered the two adjacent vertebrae, and severed your spinal cord. You should be paralyzed on the ground right now."

Bell shrugged sheepishly.

"I'm very lucky?"

Blaec rolled his eyes.

"Okay, I'll ignore the fact that what you're doing should be physically impossible. But, we need to figure out how the Chimera showed up."

The masked man shook his head.

"We'll figure that out later. It's not like we can just ask him how he sent a floor boss like that. I'm going to check on the Armory. That weapon he had was from there, and people are apparently stealing my stuff. Bell, come on."

Bell nodded, following the masked man.

"Good. We'll go back up too. Maybe the masked man and I can attempt a Single Run later. Otherwise, we'd have to go through every floor slowly."

Bete perked up at this.

"How exactly does a Single Run work?"

"A Single Run is a type of Dungeon Run. Normally, parties of any size can go as far as they want, do whatever they want in the dungeon, and leave whenever they want. A Single Run isn't that. A pair of adventurers, or a single adventurer and a supporter, go into the dungeon, kill everything on all one hundred floors, and leave when the last boss is killed. There's a boss on every floor, with a limited number of high level enemies on each floor. There's two ways to end a Single Run: Completion, and death. Both people dying at the same time cancels the Single Run, and it has to be restarted by another pair."

Bete paled.

"Anything else?"

"You can't return to completed floors, because once the boss is killed, then you're ejected to the next floor, and a wall forms behind you there. Oh, the monsters are also much more intelligent, and they attack you as soon as you enter the floor. The monsters from floor sixty on require a special effect to see, obtainable from the previous floor, and look much more humanoid."

"Wow. That's really difficult."

"Did I mention the reward for ending a Single Run?"

"No."

"A favor from the Gods and Goddesses. This is regardless of how it's finished, but, you know, dead people can't make requests."

Blaec grinned.

"I found a way around that, but it wasn't easy, or fun. I also got two favors using this method."

"What was that method?"

"The masked man was my supporter, and he died, granting him a favor, so I brought him back, then I died, granting me a favor, then I came back and we killed the final boss, granting us the second favor each."

"You died, and resurrected yourself."

"Yes. That's why I said it wasn't easy of fun."

"Masked man, what did you ask for?"

"My first favor was to set up a favor system. Any favor I ask of a God or Goddess, can be returned as a separate favor, so I ask for a favor, they ask for a favor, and the pattern repeats itself forever."

"What was the second favor?"

"I didn't have a need for the second favor, so I let Blaec use it."

"What did you ask for, Blaec?"

"My first favor was for the Single Run to be banned for the next ten years. The second favor was for the last ten floors to be banned from entering. The last favor, I still have."

"Wow, so you can ask anything of a God or Goddess?"

"Yep."

"So that's how you got us for training. The masked man asked a favor from Loki, and in return, Loki can ask a favor of him."

"Exactly. Now, let's go. We've got work to do."

Bete stretched his arms.

"Let's go, we'll ask questions on the way up."

* * *

"So, what kind of monsters were on the lower floors during a Single Run?"

"Each floor had different monsters, and different floor bosses."

"We have time."

"Well, from the sixtieth floor, there was the Volucris, with the boss being the Queen. This pattern actually went on until the seventieth floor, just with different types. Some stronger, some faster, you get the idea, but there was a Queen, a floor boss, on _every_ floor. From the seventieth floor to the eightieth, there were winged humanoids, with sharp metallic wings, and the boss being a large metallic dragon. The eightieth to ninetieth floor had armored samurais with large nodachis with the boss being a larger, stronger samurai, along with a smaller, faster, fox girl with a sword. The ninetieth to ninety fifth floor had gigantic red beetle like creatures, though they also had thick tails, no eyes, and several clawed hands, with the boss being what looked like a young girl, but could generate a variety of things out of her back and arms. The ninety fifth through ninety ninth floor had knife wielding girls, with the boss being a regular girl with claws and sharp teeth. Those were _not_ fun to fight. The one hundredth floor only had floor bosses that summoned other monsters to fight with them. There was the Medusa, the Arachne, the Cult, the Damned, the Peaceful, the Restless, the two others that haven't been named yet, the Devourers, and _him_."

"Him?"

"The final boss. A primordial being, the physical embodiment of the darkest depths itself."

"I see."

A moment of silence passed.

"So, what do you think of the masked man. Him being your supporter and all?"

Blaec smirked.

"He's not quite what one would expect. In all honesty, he's quite terrifying when you know what's under the mask."

"When he was resurrected in the Single Run, did his body change?"

"Yeah. We both had roughly half a stable body each, and the masked man used his half so I wouldn't be resurrected as a half-dead _thing_. I used remnants of his magic to form a body out of magic for him."

"So, what is he?"

"A litch."

"A litch?"

"He's immortal as far as I can tell, he can use his magic, and he is absurdly strong. The body he had would be lost if he took off the mask permanently. _I_ might die from it, since I have a part of his body, after all."

"You know, that's not really helping. When I first met him, he took off the mask, but left it hanging on his body. What about that?"

"He can do that, and it won't damage the body, but you've seen what he's made of."

Bete shuddered.

"I did. He should keep the mask on."

Blaec's smirk widened.

"Yeah. Really, I think the last boss would try to make the masked man take the mask off, in an attempt to try to kill me, demoralizing the masked man."

"Sure. Hey, how did the Devourer get to the surface?"

"He dug his way up. The immature ones can do that."

"Immature?"

"What you saw was an immature Devourer. The mature ones act are the floor bosses. There's no limit to how many there can be."

Bete paled.

"Well, _that_ would be a problem."

"That's also one reason why I asked for it to be banned for ten years."

"What's the other reasons?"

"The fact that several of the monster types looked very humanoid. Imagine having to kill children. What would that do to your mind, your morals?"

"... they'd be crushed."

"You're right. Now imagine having to kill someone close to you, over and over again. What then?"

"... I don't even know. It would be awful."

"Exactly. At that point, only someone with immense emotional strength could get by."

"So how'd you get through that?"

"I didn't, the masked man killed them all. It was a slaughter, but I didn't look, I didn't listen. I just kept going."

"That must not have be easy for him, then."

"Oh, it was. Before he did the Single Run with me, he was a weaponsmith. He made weapons to kill things, regardless of what it was. People, monsters, bosses, animals, it didn't matter to him. He knew the weapons he made would be used to kill. He also wasn't good with people. They ask him for a weapon, he makes the weapon, he gives them the weapon. Simple as that. So, it was easy for him to kill what looked like children. They would lull you into a false sense of security, then _BAM_ you're killed by them. Because the masked man didn't have anyone close, those particular enemies couldn't take advantage, and he killed them without a second thought."

 **A/N: Yes, the masked man is like that. Nobody close to him, alone with nothing to lose.  
His brother died a while back, but that doesn't mean they were close.  
** **Blaec's reaction at the beginning is hilarious.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Another (LATE) short chapter, but this is the preparation stage. So, no action yet.**

 **To Zelda, read through the entire chapter, then the A/N at the bottom.**

Blaec sighed contentedly as he walked out of the dungeon.

"Well, that interesting."

Bete shook his head.

"You call people almost dying interesting?"

"Hey, I like things lively. But not too lively, you know."

Blaec flinched as a gauntleted rested on his shoulder.

"Blaec, we need to talk."

"Alright, masked man."

* * *

"Blaec, what do you think about the Single Run enemies showing up?"

Blaec frowned.

"I know it's an issue, but doing something like another Single Run isn't the best of ideas as we are now."

"Why not bring the others as a party?"

"I'm not sure that's a good idea either. A party version of a Single Run is almost impossible to beat."

"But if we want to beat him, who would we bring to ensure survival?"

Blaec sighed.

"Ais, Bete, Bell, and Ryuu, alongside you for a strong melee offensive, and that supporter girl would be with me for ranged cover. I'm thinking of using a custom grimoire on at least one of the melee party for a ranged spell, so we can have a good middle guard."

"Standard vanguard, middle guard, and rear guard? Is that a good idea for something like this?"

"I know it would make more sense for an all around party, but a party version Single Run only goes in one direction for progress, so we should be able to use it. For bosses, we can pair a melee with a ranged adventurer to prevent getting surrounded."

"Fair enough. Which person should get the ranged spell?"

Blaec paused and thought at this for a moment.

"Ais probably won't need it, as she already has Ariel. Bete really can't use magic well, as he's a werewolf. Bell would be the best choice as Ryuu already has a ranged spell, and Bell doesn't have any magic whatsoever."

"Alright. That'll do well. But, is it really a good idea to bring them along? Not all of them would be able to deal with a Single Run like this. I doubt Ruca's even _heard_ of a Single Run. But, we can use this to our advantage. He's not familiar with our party as well, so he'll be at a disadvantage, while our party is at an advantage."

"True. I'm going to see what I can find for ranged spells."

The masked man nodded.

"I'll go make some weapons and armor for Ryuu and Ruca, then."

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Carver?"

"Yes, Ryuu, it is. We're doing a Single Run, and you're going to help us."

"Isn't a Single Run only two people?"

"It is, when you want a chance to survive. A party of three or more in a Single Run makes it difficult to actually finish, especially with how much stronger the enemies get."

"And you _want_ to do something like this?"

"Actually, the masked man wants to. The two of us can prepare the rest of you for this, but some training will need to be done."

Ryuu smirked.

"What kind of training?"

Blaec shook his head, smirking.

"I know what you're thinking, Ryuu. You won't get away with it."

Ryuu leaned closer to him.

"Are you _sure_ I won't?"

Blaec leaned in close as well.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"Hey, what are you two lovebirds up to?"

The two pulled back quickly, glaring at the masked man.

"Ha ha. _Very funny_ , masked man."

The masked man chuckled.

"I know. It's better when _coupled_ with the fact that you two looked at me when I called."

Their glares intensified, but Blaec eventually relented, sighing and running a hand through his hair.

"Well, I suppose it can't be helped. By the way, did you finish making the equipment?"

"Yeah. I had to go ask Ruca for measurements, but it's a good thing you already had Ryuu's, Blaec. They're even up to date."

Blaec stiffened, and Ryuu glared at him wryly.

"Well, Carver. It seems I might be able to get away with it, with justification, even."

"Now, now settle down you two. Ryuu, I need you to try the armor on, and get some training in with the weaponry. We still have some time to prepare."

"Very well, masked man. But I don't usually wear armor."

"You're going to need it. A Single Run isn't something you can just run through without being prepared."

Ryuu nodded.

"I suppose it would be fair."

The masked man nodded.

"Now, shall we get going?"

* * *

Ryuu glared at Blaec.

"This armor fits quite well. It makes one wonder how you got the measurements, Carver."

"Hehe. Trade secret."

Ryuu rolled her eyes, walking around in her new armor. Lightweight and black, the crystalline material seemed to swirl in the light, giving her armor an almost ethereal look.

"Not bad, Ryuu."

"What material is this? I've never seen anything like it."

"Trade secret, but I can tell you, it's a very special material that's hard to come by."

The masked man chuckled.

"I'm the only one who can supply it. Hey, Ais, are you done?"

Ais came out, wearing a similar armor set to Ryuu. Once again, the black armor had an ethereal look. The masked man nodded.

"Like a real sword princess."

Blaec nodded in approval.

"I'm sure the rest of the group would like it, too."

Ryuu glared at Blaec just as Bell walked in.

"Ais, you look nice. What's the armor made of? I've never seen anything like it before."

Ais shrugged, looking at the masked man.

"It's a secret, Bell."

Bell pouted.

"You can't even tell me?"

"No, Bell. However, you'll figure it out eventually."

"Fine."

"Did you not like the armor I prepared for you? You haven't changed into it."

"I might bring it. I like this one."

Blaec inspected Bell's armor.

"Welf Crozzo, huh. Fair enough. Replace that armor when it breaks. I do _not_ need you getting stabbed because you're squishy and unprotected."

Bell paled considerably.

"I think we all don't need that."

Liliruca was the last to enter, wearing a similar armor set to Ryuu and Ais. Blaec nodded his approval.

"Well, if that's all that's done, we'll go over tactics. Firstly, we'll use a vanguard, a middle guard, and a rear guard. This will give us protection as well as the damage ability we need to get through. Ais, the masked man, and Bete will be the vanguard, as they have the most destructive melee ability, as well as minimal casting time for spells and high penetrating power against enemies. Ryuu and Bell will be the middle guard, and will be tasked with defending both the vanguard and the rear guard. These two have both strong melee, as well as moderate ranged spells with both short and long chants, and Bell will get a custom grimoire for the short chant, so don't worry. Lily and I will be the rear guard. Our primary strengths are range and mobility, so we can avoid the enemy while taking them out from a distance. We will provide cover fire, as well as pinning the enemy as necessary. Our main tactic will be to have the rear guard fire a volley that will make it difficult for the enemy to retreat back. From there, the vanguard will charge forward, taking the enemy head on, with cover from both the middle guard and rear guard as necessary. This will allow us to prevent reinforcements from arriving too early, as well as keep the enemy in a confined space while the vanguard and middle guard take on the enemy. Any questions?"

The first question was actually asked by Bete.

"How strong are the enemies?"

"Quite strong. That's why I used this setup. Otherwise, I would have had the masked man just run through everything himself, and I would help out with bosses and the like. Unfortunately, we can't do that, because the enemy count would be too high. As the number of adventurer party goes up, the number of enemies go down, but they get stronger as a result. Sometimes both the number and strength go up for enemies."

Liliruca raised an eyebrow.

"How do you know all this?"

Blaec shrugged.

"My parents were quite... eccentric. They used people that wanted to commit suicide on Single Runs when they were popular to do, and gathered data to help other adventurers get farther on Single Runs. Of course, the runners were compensated with good equipment, and given proper burial after cremation, but the main goal was to proper document the Single Run to the fullest."

"How did they get the bodies back?"

"The bodies return to the dungeon entrance when an adventurer dies."

"You said you could get Bell a custom grimoire. Is that also because of your parents?"

"Like I said, my parents were quite eccentric. They specialized in magic and the like, and that extended to grimoires. They tended to write their own, and claimed, and I quote 'those other oversized grimoires are just a waste of energy to make, and money to buy.' To them, grimoires had to be easily made if the materials were available, and sold moderately cheaply, in order to actually have people buy them. The only real downside is what happens when they're applied."

"What happens? Don't you get a spell if you use a custom grimoire? Or does it kill you in order to apply itself?"

"No, it doesn't kill you. But it does burn itself into your body. My parents found that the burns go all the way through bones in most places. Those kinds of injuries _hurt_. So, using a custom grimoire has a bit of costs to it. However, using a healing potion reduces the burns, but not the pain, my parents found. Granted, the burns heal after quite some time in the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and skin, but never quite for the bones when no healing potion is used. In conclusion, if you want to use a custom grimoire, which comes with a free healing potion because it's that damaging, be prepared to hurt for quite a bit, and then come out with whatever spell you wanted to have."

"Wow. On a different topic, what familia do you belong to?"

Blaec chuckled.

"Well, you see, I don't belong to any familia. My parents applied a Grace to me when I was young, then sent me out to train on my own, only helping out when I really needed it. When I got older, I came back, read through the studies and texts, and went back out again, this time going through a bit of the dungeon, before going out and hunting monsters outside the dungeon. From here, I met quite a few people -"

Ryuu interrupted.

"Like Little Carver?"

Blaec nodded.

"People like Little Carver. Along with that, I learned how to resurrect people, although those I did ended up as liches. People with too much ambition toward a goal end up as liches when they're resurrected. If Bell had died, and I resurrected him, he might have ended up as a lich."

 **A/N: This is why we don't have nice things, Blaec. So, yeah, Bell could have ended up as a lich. Story would have been much different.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: The Single Run starts here. One floor cleared, another floor almost done.  
Yes, there is a cliffhanger.**

Blaec clapped his hands.

"Alright. Let's get going. We have a dungeon to conquer."

Bell nodded.

"Let's go."

The rest of the group got up, and started heading out.

"Wait."

The group looked at the masked man curiously.

"What?"

"We need to send a notice out to clear the dungeon. The Loki Familia shouldn't have an expedition today, and the other large familias shouldn't as well, but the small ones might still be in there. We don't want to have what happened last time to repeat itself, right Ryuu?"

Ryuu scowled.

"Of course. I'll get Mia to notify the other adventurers, and I can help notify the adventurers on the eighteenth floor. The dungeon should be clear by tomorrow."

* * *

The day went by, with each adventurer doing different things: Ryuu got the dungeon cleared with help from Mia Grand, Ais and Bete got the Loki Familia to cancel an expedition later in the week, Blaec, now armed with a bow, helped Liliruca with her new equipment after giving Bell two custom grimoires, Bell talked to Welf Crozzo in order to get a better set of armor, and the masked man was looking through a room filled with weapons.

"The Slaughter sword is gone, the Shifter sword is gone, the Storm Gauntlets are gone, the Helm of Despair is gone, the Boots of Alacrity are gone, the Impure Shroud is gone, and the Dragon's Coat is gone. I really need to keep better track of my things."

He sighed, striding over to another open slot.

"It appears there needs to be one more insult to add to injury, too."

He shook his head.

"I'll get to that when the time comes."

He walked to a metal door, sliding it open, then closing it as he left.

* * *

"Is everyone ready?"

The group nodded, as a large crowd gathered around the dungeon entrance.

"Are they really doing a party version of a Single Run?"

"SIngle Runs haven't been done in over ten years. They probably were preparing all this time. If they didn't train, then they wouldn't even get past the first floor."

Ryuu's eye twitched.

"Isn't one of them Blaec Carver?"

"Nah, Blaec had pure white hair. That guy has black and white hair. He can't be Blaec Carver."

Blaec's eye twitched.

"Hey, are the black and white haired guy and the blonde haired girl next to him dating? They seem like they are."

Both Ryuu and Blaec's eyes twitched.

The masked man raised a hand, silencing the crowd.

"I thank you for your cooperation in clearing the dungeon with such swiftness. From here, we will return with nothing less than victory over the dungeon."

He lowered his hand, and the crowd cheered loudly as the group entered the dungeon, the air around the entrance rippling.

* * *

As the group entered the dungeon, the air shimmered before them, the dungeon changing to challenge the group that dared to oppose it.

The group's formation was set, and they refused to break it.

"Let's get started, then."

The masked man nodded.

"Dungeon, send us your best."

Shadows shifted, coalescing into black furred, wolf-like creatures that began surrounding the group.

Blaec lifted his bow, and fired several arrows rapidly, destroying the creatures quickly.

"Masked man."

The masked man nodded, then broke formation, running farther into the dungeon.

"Why did the masked man run?"

Blaec nodded, firing off more arrows that disappeared down the path the masked man had run.

"The Single Run is a one-way path, and that path leads to the boss. We kill the boss, we go to the next floor. The masked man will give us time to kill the rest of the monsters."

The vanguard nodded their agreements.

"All right, then. Let's go kill some monsters."

"Agreed."

The six of them increased their pace, both vanguard, middle guard, and rear guard doing their part to slay the numerous monsters. Blaec frowned.

"This is too easy."

"That just means we're strong, right?"

Liliruca's eyes widened at Blaec's statement.

"It's a trap."

Several of the wolfmen formed behind them, and in front of them, surrounding the group.

Said group immediately separated to adapt to this change, Blaec, Ryuu, and Bete defending the rear.

"Don't let them get closer!"

Blaec fired off a volley of arrows, while Bete and Ryuu tore apart the wolfmen.

* * *

The masked man slowed his pace, stopping in a large cavern.

"Your light beckons me, adventurer."

A massive version of the wolfmen crashed down in front of him, with several differences: blank eyes, white fur, and two sets of razor sharp teeth, with flames spewing from its jaws.

"I will extinguish it!"

The masked man lowered himself into a combat stance.

"Try it."

* * *

Bell sliced through another wolfman, its body dissolving.

"Why are there so many?"

Liliruca fired off several shots in rapid succession before responding.

"Because they're much weaker! We need to get to the boss!"

Bell raised his free left hand, still slashing and stabbing at the wolfmen.

"Fire."

The hand burst into flames, and Bell punched through several of the wolfmen, aiming down the hallway.

"BOLT!"

A large projectile of fire blasted through the wolfmen, and continued its path down the hallway, increasing speed as it collided with enemies.

* * *

The masked man punched the wolf boss again, blocking with his free hand as the latter slashed at him.

The wolf boss opened its mouth, flames bellowing out at its enemy.

The masked man punched through the flames, slamming a fist down on the wolf boss' head.

"Is that all?"

The wolfman's eyes focused for a second, then became blank again.

"Adventurer! I will extinguish your light!"

The masked man simply punched him again.

"Dungeon! You cannot extinguish what does not exist!"

* * *

The group looked around at the now empty hallway.

"Was that all of them?"

"I think so. Let's go kill the boss."

Liliruca gave him a curious look.

"How do you know it's not killed?"

The ground rumbled, and Blaec shook his head.

"Never mind, let's go to the next floor. The masked man's almost done."

The ground rumbled more violently this time, throwing Liliruca off balance.

"Never mind, he's done. Let's go to the next floor."

"Uh, Bell? Does that Firebolt stop?"

Bell paled.

"I don't know."

* * *

The masked man looked back as a very fast ball of fire hurtled down the hallway towards him.

"So, Firebolt doesn't have a maximum range, or Bell's close."

He held out a gauntleted hand, catching and crushing the fireball in it.

"And here I thought it would be worse."

He sighed, shaking his head, as he stood waiting in the empty room.

* * *

Bell nodded to the masked man.

"I'm sorry, masked man. I didn't mean for that Firebolt to go so far."

The masked man shrugged, waving a hand dismissively.

"Don't worry about it. We need to go to the next floor."

* * *

The next floor was lightless, and silent, and Bete was shifting around uncomfortably.

"Can we finish the floor quickly?"

The masked man nodded.

"Something's off about this."

A roar shattered the silence, interrupting the group's musings.

" _LEAVE OR PERISH, ADVENTURERS!"_

The group stopped, as the sound of flapping wings nearly deafened them.

"Fire."

Bell's hand burst into flames, lighting the area a bit.

Hundreds of large dragons rushed the group, drawn to the flame. Blaec and Liliruca shot down several, but more just kept coming, much faster than could be killed.

"Lili, can I leave you for a moment?"

Liliruca nodded, as Bell dashed forward, slashing and punching many of the dragons.

"A little more."

Bete, Ais, and the masked man were all doing their best to hold off the overwhelming swarm, but to little avail.

Bell ran in front of them, the flames on his hand a dark green.

"BOLT!"

A wave of green fire washed over the dragons in front of him, and Blaec followed up, drawing his black sword and swinging with both hands.

The two panted heavily, Blaec resting on one knee.

" _FOOLISH ADVENTURERS. YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO PERISH."_

Flames burst forth around them, lighting the large area around the group.

Thousands of dragons lined the walls, growling at the group that dared to oppose it.

Blaec stood up, drawing his bow again.

"Let's get started, then. We have a dungeon to conquer, and we will not fail."

" _CAN YOU FULFILL THAT CLAIM, ADVENTURER?"_

Blaec grinned, his face an expression of insanity and confidence.

"I know we can."

The dragons rushed them, launching a barrage of fireballs that exploded on impact, causing an enormous eruption of fire and earth that obscured their vision. The backed away, ready to fire at the adventurers again.

A volley of arrows prevented them from doing that, killing them instantly.

"Dungeon. Did you think an attack that weak would stop us?"

Blaec stepped out, unharmed, his trenchcoat retracting back to it's normal shape.

"My coat is fireproof."

The barrage of fireballs resumed, but Blaec and Liliruca responded with their own barrage of arrows that detonated the flaming projectiles easily, leaving a significantly less amount for Bete, Ais, Bell, and the masked man to contend with.

"Fire."

Bell's flames seemed to eat away at any fireball that came near it, as he dashed around, slaying the dragons.

"Is this all you weaklings have?"

Bete slammed his boot into a dragon, crushing its head, killing it. He jumped off, axe kicking another dragon into the ground.

Ais said nothing as she slashed at various dragons, the latter unable to match the speed of the former.

The masked man let out a roar of defiance as he ripped apart several dragons with his gauntlets, before lunging and ripping another one in half.

"The Single Run I went on with Blaec ten years ago was not this easy. DUNGEON, THIS IS NOT YOUR BEST! SEND US YOUR BEST!"

An massive wave of blue fire barreled towards them, covering the entire area, even as it burned and consumed the dragons.

"BOLT!"

Bell's own wave of fire was also blue, slamming into the opposing wave.

Blaec drew his black sword again, but Ryuu rested a hand on the blade, lowering it.

"Allow me."

She walked next to Bell, who nodded to her as he focused on blocking the wall of flames.

"In the sky of a now distant forest."

She held out her hand.

"Infinite stars scattered in the endless night sky."

Bell's arm shook ever so slightly, and the masked man rested a hand on the young adventurer's shoulder, calming him.

"Respond to my foolish voice, give me now divine protection of starfire."

Ais' hand tightened around the grip of her sword as the enemy's flames began to push back Bell's.

"Give the mercy of light to the one that abandoned you."

Blaec readied his black sword, both hands gripping the hilt tightly.

"Come, wandering wind, the wandering traveler."

Bete tensed, his hand wandering to his mask.

"Cross the sky and run through the wilderness, run faster than anything else."

The enemy's flames broke through Bell's wall.

"Imbue the light of stardust and destroy the enemy."

The searing fire rushed at the adventurers, melting the stone of the floor, walls, and ceiling.

"Luminous wind."

A large amount of green lights, like stardust, surrounded the group, then hurled itself at the incoming attack.

The flames twisted back as the stardust ripped through them.

The masked man nodded.

"Let's go kill the boss."

The group marched forward, determined to kill the second floor boss.

* * *

The adventures trudged through the watery swamp.

" _YOU HAVE COME."_

The masked man nodded.

"Yes, we have."

" _BUT CAN YOU KILL ME?"_

The adventurers prepared themselves.

"Yes, we can."

Several roars, overlapping one another echoes throughout the area.

" _BRACE YOURSELVES, ADVENTURERS."_

A nine headed dragon emerged from below the water's surface, each head gazing at a different adventurer, with two looking at the group as a whole, the rest of its body hidden beneath the water.

" _YOU WILL NOT SURVIVE THIS BATTLE."_

Blaec notched an arrow.

"Really, now? Can you defend that claim? If you can't, you will die."

The masked man nodded in agreement.

"Dungeon. Is this your best?"

" _WHILE I AM NOT THE STRONGEST, I AM STILL STRONGER THAN YOU."_

A fine mist flowed freely from each of the dragon's mouths.

"Firebolt."

A bright flash of fire flared from Bell's hand, setting the mist ablaze.

The blaze was pierced by a blur heading towards Bell.

"Was that it, dungeon?"

The masked man was holding onto one of the heads, forcing the mouth that could have bitten Bell in half open with both hands.

"An attack like that? Don't be ridiculous."

He proceeded to rip the jaws apart, in doing so, along with the rest of the head, and part of the neck.

"Why do you not send your best, dungeon?"

" _BECAUSE THIS IS ALL I NEED TO KILL YOU."_

The split head began to converge, until the head was reformed.

The masked man held out a hand, a pitch black claymore appearing in it.

"Then you're going to have to try quite a bit harder than that."

He turned to the rest of the group.

"Surround him, but don't isolate yourselves. Pair with someone that matches you well."

He turned back to the dragon.

"Dungeon, did you think something like that would stop me?"

" _I ALREADY HAVE."_

The masked man looked as the rest of the group fell to their knees, clutching their chests.

"Poison."

The masked man looked back at the dragon.

"Dungeon, you've made quite the mistake."

The masked man was gone in a flash, and a neck, attached to a head, fell from the dragon's body.

"Can you regenerate that, dungeon?"

" _FOOLISH ADVENTURER."_

The other eight heads turned towards him, spraying the poison it had used on the rest at him.

The masked man walked through it like it was nothing.

"I suppose you think that will stop me. It won't."

The masked man stepped aside as ten heads attacked him in tandem.

" _ADVENTURER. MY POWER LIES WITHIN ME. YOU CANNOT WIN."_

The masked man sighed as he strode forward, the claymore resting on his shoulder.

"I suppose not with this method. Perhaps,"

The dragon roared in pain as the masked man stabbed the claymore into dragon's body.

"This might work?"

He pulled the claymore along, carving deep into the dragon's scaly hide, ignoring the blood that hissed as it made contact with his cloak.

"Oh? Poisonous blood?"

The masked man laughed at the feeble attempt to kill him.

The heads bit at each other, spilling blood, but not separating the heads.

" _YOU CAN SURVIVE THIS. BUT CAN THEY?"_

The masked man growled as the blood fell towards the group, moving to block the dripping liquid. It was to no avail, as a head bit his arm, then threw him away from the other adventurers.

" _THIS IS THEIR FATE, ADVENTURER. YOU WILL WATCH AS THEY PERISH, THEN YOU WILL SOON FOLLOW THEM."_

The masked man watched as Blaec's coat spread to block the poisonous blood, but the blood began to dissolve the coat.

"Corrosive blood."

The masked man rose to his feet, standing on top of the water, but a head pushed him under, trapping him.

" _DO NOT INTERFERE."_

The head pulled the masked man back out, steam rising from his body, as he could only watch as the blood poured over the others.

 **A/N: Don't hate me. This was a great place to stop.  
** **I'm only a little evil.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Finish of the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth floor. Oh boy, offtext happenings are so fun.  
To Zelda/Greenoak1: Yeah, it could have gone very differently. I really didn't want to do that line of plot though. Repercussions for turning an adventurer into an immortal, which not even the gods are, would be very extreme if done outside a Single Run. The gods, particularly Hestia, would be _pissed_. As for pairings, I looked at the whole 'BellxAis' thing, and Ais is a little hard to write as 'in love' with Bell, and maintain character at the same time, being . Bell is also not nearly as infatuated with Ais as canon, as his main goal is to be strong enough where he doesn't need protecting. But, it's becoming more and more possible for it to happen. As for a definite pairing, it would be a somewhat subtle RyuuxBlaec. Ryuu hates Blaec, Blaec doesn't care, but it's a bit of passive-agression between them. Hehe.  
Floor three boss design has been brought to you by the Armed with Wings franchise (it's Network).**

* * *

"NO!"

The masked man lunged at the others, his movement sluggish as he sloshed through the water.

A slew of flaming arrows barreled out from behind Blaec's tattered coat, incinerating the blood, and piercing the dragon's heads.

"That was too close."

Blaec walked out, his coat shrinking back to its normal form, and the masked man nodded, sighing.

"I thought you didn't finish the chant in time. I was worried."

Blaec nodded.

"I know. I almost didn't."

The dragon's heads glared at him, a shroud of poison flowing from their mouths.

" _ADVENTURER. I WILL NOT BE BESTED SO EASILY."_

Blaec notched another arrow, then fired it at a head, the former bursting into flames as it incinerated the latter.

"Did you think that was all I was capable of? Simply shooting flaming arrows and having a fireproof coat? No, it's much more than that."

He slung his bow on his back, then drew his black sword, holding it with two hands.

"I've enchanted this equipment with everything I have. Yes, it was difficult. Yes, it was painful. But so what?"

He swung the sword down, a wave of darkness sweeping over the dragon.

"I've dedicated everything so far to making myself stronger. There were many that died because no one completed a Single Run without dying."

He swung again, another wave crashing into the first one.

"I will change that."

The wave dissipated, revealing the murky water.

" _IT IS FUTILE."_

The dragon burst out of the water, hundreds of heads glaring at the adventurers. Blaec scowled.

"The rest of you, go ahead."

Bete looked at him with a quizzical expression.

"Are you sure?"

Blaec nodded.

"I'll be fine. The rest of you might not be, though."

Bete frowned.

"I can buy you some time."

Ryuu frowned.

"Will you be alright, Carver?"

Blaec nodded.

"The rest of you, get going."

Bete kicked away a head that got too close.

"GO!"

The rest of the group scrambled and clambered around the many headed dragon, Blaec firing off the flaming arrows to cover their escape.

"Dungeon, it it just us, and you."

" _THEN YOU SHALL FALL."_

Bete reached for his mask.

"Blaec, whatever it is you're going to do, do it well."

He placed the mask on his face, a pulse of power signifying the change going underway. Blaec smiled as Bete charged the heads, slashing and biting them.

"Divine guiding high wind, lead this impure soul to greatness, let him reach the heavens, bring forth the reign of creation, and drive out clarity. Strike down, build up, and change that which is reality, that which binds this impure soul to impurity. State that which you seek to guide me, and I will find it. The Creator of Earth, the Destroyer of Heaven, look down with mercy, and grant this impure soul power. The power to move the unyielding earth, to trap the free wind, to douse the unquenchable fire, to stop the unstoppable flood. The power to strike down foes that cannot be struck down, to live through death. Empower my magic. Smite with a great force, tear the very earth asunder upon your descension, great power from the heavens. Banish the darkness with a great light, drive out the cold with a great heat, drive out life with a great lightning."

He pointed at the dragon, who was attempting to rip Bete apart, but to no avail.

"Smiting Lightning."

An enormous sphere of lightning formed in the middle of the group of heads, rapidly expanding until it electrified the water, then pushed through it until it reached the bottom of the swamp, engulfing everything in the room in lightning. Blaec smiled as he passed out, seeing Bete take off his mask, and run to him, scowling.

* * *

"Hey, get up."

Blaec slowly opened his eyes.

"Oh, hey Bete."

He sat up, only to be slapped in the face.

"Were you trying to get yourself killed, Carver?"

Blaec rubbed his cheek, smiling at the angry yet teary-eyed Ryuu.

"It's good to know you care, Ryuu."

"When Bete brought you back, you were a mess."

The masked man nodded in agreement.

"Not only did you hit Mind Zero, you were electrocuted quite thoroughly as well."

Ryuu frowned.

"What did you do to kill the boss, Carver?"

Blaec chuckled.

"My magic. Eh, Ais, there's an elf in the Loki Familia that can use any spell right?"

Ais nodded.

"Well, my magic's a little like that, Ryuu."

"You idiot. You could have killed yourself with something like that. That black sword, it uses something similar to magic, right?"

Blaec nodded.

"A lot of my equipment uses enchantments. The actives are like magic, and the passives have limited durability, so I'd have to re-enchant them later. Why?"

"You must have a high magic stat to resist using that black sword twice, and then a spell that could kill a boss like that in one hit."

"Well, I noticed the heads kept reforming, but the body remained submerged, so I used a spell that would dry up all the water, and deal lethal damage should the removal of the water not be enough."

"You could have killed yourself."

Blaec shook his head, grinning.

"Don't be ridiculous. I won't die that easily."

Ryuu glared at him.

"You are as mortal as I am, Carver. Keep that in mind."

Blaec smiled at her.

"Of course, Ryuu."

* * *

The clash of metal on metal echoed in Blaec's ears.

"Did you find an exit yet?"

Blaec grunted, cleaving the shadow in half.

"No. The dungeon is moving too quickly to form a path out."

He sighed, then lowered his sword, staring at where he thought the exit would be.

"Ryuu, can you help with this?"

Ryuu shook her head as she slashed another shadow into pieces, only to have to block another's onslaught.

"There's too many."

Blaec nodded, sighing again.

"The rest of you, guard me for now."

The rest of the group nodded their understanding, then formed a circle around Blaec.

"Divine guiding high wind, lead this impure soul to greatness, let him reach the heavens, bring forth the reign of creation, and drive out clarity. Strike down, build up, and change that which is reality, that which binds this impure soul to impurity. State that which you seek to guide me, and I will find it. The Creator of Earth, the Destroyer of Heaven, look down with mercy, and grant this impure soul power. The power to move the unyielding earth, to trap the free wind, to douse the unquenchable fire, to stop the unstoppable flood. The power to strike down foes that cannot be struck down, to live through death. Empower my magic. Look down on those that oppose your reign. Smite them with a great power, and break that which defends them. Sweep your wings, roar in rage, and raze the enemy. Killing Breath of the Dragon King."

He inhaled, then roared, a wide beam of pure white light tore its way through the enemies, the walls of the dungeon, and anything else that dared to get in its way, leaving a large hole leading directly to the boss room.

"Good, I aimed correctly, then."

Blaec smiled, then fell unconscious again, and the masked man caught him before Blaec collapsed on the ground.

"Come. We have a boss to kill, and the path won't last long."

True to his word, the walls were beginning to reform where the blast had razed them.

"Then let's go."

The group dashed towards the boss room, narrowly avoiding the shadows that attacked them from seemingly all sides.

They barely made it to the boss room.

"You came. How pleasant."

The group looked at the tall shadowy figure before them. Much like the masked man, his entire being and attire was black. Unlike the masked man, only his eyes were white, the rest of his lean form nearly blending in with the dark surroundings. The black cloth at his waist swayed slightly as the boss took in the new challengers, noting Blaec's unconscious form.

"You challenge me with six."

Liliruca readied an arrow on her wrist mounted bow, aiming it at him.

"It's all we'll need."

The masked man held out a hand, signalling for Liliruca to stand down.

"I will finish this. The rest of you, leave us."

The boss tilted his head, as the rest of the group left the masked man and him.

"Only you, brother?"

The masked man gave him a level stare.

"Yes, little one. Only me."

He took a step forward, and the boss readied himself, his fingers extending into claws, horns jutting out from seemingly behind his face, and a wild mane of hair growing from the back of his head.

"Then you will die here, brother!"

He charged the masked man, who stopped a reckless slash with a single gauntlet.

"No, little one. I will not die today."

He raised a hand, then stabbed the boss through the chest.

"You will die once more."

The boss gave a hollow chuckle, then rested a hand on the masked man's head.

"Your existence is why I am here, brother."

Smoke rose from the hand, and the boss seemed to frown.

"Brother, what have you become?"

The masked man chuckled, resting a hand on the boss' head, mimicking the latter.

"A being cursed to walk this earth for all time."

He paused a moment.

"Do not worry, little one. I will end this all soon."

The boss exploded in black flames, yet he gave out no scream.

"Is that all?"

A burning clawed hand reached out for the masked man's mask, though the owner of the latter stepped back.

"Is this your weakness, brother?"

A pair of demonic wings unfurled from the flaming boss' back.

"Then you _will_ die, brother."

The boss raised a hand, a small, condensed sphere of darkness forming in it.

"No."

The masked man slowly walked forward.

The boss kept charging the attack.

The masked man raised a hand to his mask.

* * *

The resulting explosion could be felt in the next floor, and the next, and the next, until it reached the adventurers.

"What was that?"

The now conscious Blaec nodded.

"The masked man and his brother."

"His brother?"

"Yes, his brother. Originally, the masked man and his brother weren't very close. The masked man wanted nothing to do with people, preferring to stay in his forge and make weapons. His brother, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with those weapons, preferring to fight bare handed, and help people when he could. After some time, the masked man's brother finally met his match in the dungeon, aiding a familia that had been cornered by a group of monsters. His last words were, 'You could have been here, brother.' We met him in the Single Run, but the masked man dealt with him easily. This time, it might be different with the masked man being a lich."

"Wouldn't that make things easier?"

"I'm not sure. Even if the masked man can't die, he needs the mask to keep the opportunity to regain his actual body. I've never seen him actually take the mask off."

Bete shivered.

"I have. It's not a good sight."

Blaec nodded.

"If he takes the mask off, even temporarily, it could damage his body if he regains it."

"Would it be better if he just took the mask off for good?"

Blaec shook his head, scowling.

"He'd never agree to that. If he takes the mask off permanently, then I run the risk of not regaining my eyes. The masked man would never forgive himself for that."

Blaec smiled bitterly.

"If I had to make a guess, I'd say that the masked man turned into a lich because he really wanted to finish a Single Run without either of us dying."

"So the rest of us are expendable?"

"What? No, of course not. All I'm saying is that if the masked man gets his wish, he may be able to regain his body, but I'm not completely sure about that. If the masked man's desire changed, then it might not be a completable one. If it's that, then the chances of him regaining his body are slim to none under normal circumstances. If Bell had died to that Chimera, and he, for example, wanted to be a hero, then he would have become a lich if I had resurrected him. And because the concept of a hero is that they don't usually die, then Bell would have been immortal, though also without Grace. I might be able to separate the lich aspect after, but if his body had been too damaged, then he would have died immediately afterwards."

"So, if I hadn't gained Limit Break, I might have ended up as a lich?"

"Or just dead. I'm not one to take a risk like that if there's too great a chance of failure. I don't turn people into liches when the chances are too high like that."

Bell shrugged, nodding as well.

"I understand. You didn't want to be responsible for making something like that."

"But, if you _had_ turned into a lich, I'm certain you'd have been driven mad by the desire that caused you to become a lich in the first place. I've seen a lot of liches like that. One of them had the desire to kill his son, who had killed him. He did so, and resumed his life as normal. But when he found someone that he could consider his son, his desire resurfaced, and he ended up killing that one."

Ryuu looked at him.

"That was with Little Carver, wasn't it?"

Blaec nodded.

"The man's name was Aldrich King, I believe, and Little Carver was the boy he killed. I resurrected the boy, of course, but he asked to be put out of his misery. So I did. It wasn't fun, but it had to be done."

* * *

 **A/N: Yes, that just happened. A turn for the worst has been avoided, and is now revealed. Once again, avoid pissing off the gods when you can. The masked man's brother! Oh man!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Last chapter, guys. Looking back, it's hard to believe you guys put up with my objective viewpoint style for so long.  
** **So, I'm starting a rewrite. The current writing style is a little sketchy. So, enjoy!**

* * *

The masked man walked out of the boss room, small tendrils of darkness trailing from his body, and his mask cracked.

"I'm coming for you. You won't take any more adventurers."

Silence was his response.

"I will conquer this dungeon, slay you, and take back what you took from me."

This time, a cold, hollow laugh rang out through the dungeon.

" **CHILD. WHAT IS IT YOU SEEK THAT I CAN STILL HAVE? POWER? INFAMY? NO, DISCIPLE OF CHAOS, YOU CANNOT TAKE BACK WHAT IS NOT IN MY POSSESSION. EVEN IF YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN TAKE WHAT I** _ **DO**_ **HAVE, I DID NOT TAKE THOSE FROM YOU. I TOOK WHAT WAS MINE TO TAKE FROM THOSE THAT DIED IN MY DOMAIN."**

The masked man growled at the being who called him a _child_.

"No. You still have them. I _will_ take them back."

More silence filled the space, and the masked man sighed, making his way back to the group.

* * *

Blaec smiled when the masked man returned to their little party of seven.

"You're back, I see."

His eyes narrowed when he saw the crack.

"What happened?"

The masked man took a deep breath.

"I faced the dungeon's imitation of my brother, back when he had nearly turned himself into a monster."

He sat down next to Blaec, shaking slightly.

"Twice I've ended his life, even an imitation. I'm no better than the one who killed him first."

Blaec rested a hand on his shoulder.

"No. You are better than that."

He gestured to the rest of the group.

"You are not alone. We are here, and we _can_ help you."

Drawing the white blade, Blaec held it with both hands. Then he carefully traced it along the crack, and the crack closed up. The masked man nodded in thanks.

"Come. We have a dungeon to conquer."

The group was ready, and this time, they swore they would not fail. They couldn't with this much at stake, the lives of the seven that went forth into this dark pit.

* * *

The group made it to the twentieth floor with little trouble. But here was a problem.

"The rest of you go on. "

Blaec scowled at Ryuu.

"We're not leaving you on your own. It's getting more and more dangerous, Ryuu."

Ryuu shook her head, her grip on her weapon tightening.

"I can do this. I'm staying here, so go on ahead. I'll catch up later."

Blaec's scowl deepened, but he did as she asked, pushing the others along. When they were out of earshot, he stopped.

"This is the floor her Familia died on during the last Single Run. I'm going to stay here and make sure she doesn't kill herself. I trust you five can handle yourselves."

Ais nodded.

"We can. We will."

Bell nodded in agreement, impressed by her resolve.

"We will go on, then."

Liliruca nodded quietly, and Bete scoffed. The masked man's response was to barely spare a glance at the dark elf.

"Don't die."

Blaec grinned in his response, and he was off, waiting for Ryuu to finish, or make a mistake.

* * *

"Masked man, why does Blaec seem to be so protective of Ryuu, when she's so cold to him?"

The masked man chuckled at Liliruca's question, as he punched through a monster that looked suspiciously human. Not quite human, but very close.

"You see, Ruca, Blaec cares because he feels that what happened with Ryuu's Familiar was his fault. He looks for redemption, and little more. Although,"

He punched through another, as Liliruca fired off several rounds of arrows.

"I feel he seeks comfort, acceptance. A dark elf doesn't receive much of that outside their family, due to the prejudice of their practices. Ryuu, on the other hand, seeks solace for what happened. She is bitter, perhaps broken, but she refuses to share her pain with others."

Bell cut in, literally into a nearby monster, and metaphorically into their conversation.

"Blaec told us about your brother. He helped out others. Is that why you are a supporter? To help others when he could not?"

A single tendril of inky darkness shot out of the masked man's cloaked shoulder, impaling a monster through the head, and engulfing it in black flames. A pained shriek ripped through the air, and Bell shivered.

"Perhaps it is, Bell. But there are times when I am not enough. My goal, my desire, is what drove me to become what I am. My brother, on the other hand, did not have enough to support him. He was not strong enough, and he died because of it. That is why we have seven, not two."

The black tendril retreated back into his shoulder, and the masked man resumed his assault of punches on the monsters, Liliruca providing him cover with a rain of arrows.

* * *

"Hey, Ais. What do you think of the little rabbit boy?"

"Rabbit boy?"

"The white haired kid with us. He kinda worries me. He's stronger than a rookie like him should be, and he's only been here, what, a month, maybe two at most?"

"At most two."

"So, we've been here for years. _Years_ , Ais. What does that say about us? Sure, he's not as strong as us, but he's getting there."

"He is strong."

"Too much so. That masked man is something that isn't natural, Ais."

The ' _He scares me_ ' was left unsaid.

"He scares you."

Bete paused, then was nearly impaled by a spear that a monster threw.

"I guess. But you know me, I focus on physical power, not magic. The masked man, though, he's practically _made_ of magic, but he's stronger than either of us."

"Really."

Bete gave an annoyed grunt as he kicked the monster's head in, then another one into a wall.

"Yes, Ais, _really_. He's too strong. I'm here because I want to get stronger, prove my worth."

Ais effortlessly slashed through a monster, then another.

"You are strong."

Bete chuckled bitterly.

"Really now. So then, how do I prove I'm strong, when the masked man is off slaying bosses so easily, with no real effort at all?"

He let out a roar, and slammed his boot into a monster's head, crushing it underfoot.

"How do I prove I'm strong, when that _kid_ is getting stronger at a ridiculous rate?"

His hand rested on the wolf mask hanging from his neck.

"How do I prove I'm strong, when that dark elf beat us so _effortlessly_? I know I'm not that weak."

He gripped the helmet tightly, raising it to his head.

"How do I prove I'm strong, Ais? How do I prove I'm _not weak_?"

He placed the mask on his face, releasing a pulse of power that blasted back any monster foolish enough to be near him at the time, and then Bete was _slaughtering_ the monsters.

" _How do I prove I'm not weak? Such silly words."_

The words were spoken in a harsh voice, one that clearly wasn't Bete.

" _I am not weak."_

" _It's dark."_

That one phrase, in Bete's voice was enough to break what held Ais back.

In an _instant_ , the other monsters were gone, leaving only the adventurer, and what stood before her, something that would show no fear of anything, the _thing_ holding Bete captive.

"Are you afraid?"

" _I am not afraid. I have no reason to be."_

" _I'm afraid. It's dark."_

"Why are you afraid?"

" _I am not afraid. I am strong! The strong have no reason to be afraid!"_

" _It is dark. The masked man is is the dark. He'll come for me. He'll devour me."_

Ais paused, silent.

" _No. He will not devour me. I am stronger than him! I will devour_ **HIM** _instead!"_

Bete's form shuddered, the mask slowly covering more of his head, his armor moving, _crawling_ , up any exposed skin it could reach. His new form was slowly becoming what Ais had once killed, but despite her not being able to see it at the time, she could feel the similarities between them. She dimly recalled mention of what his armor was called, and what the enemy had been.

Bete was becoming a Devourer.

She could _not_ let this happen.

* * *

Ryuu slashed down as an armed monster struck out at her, then again at another. Her Familia died on this floor, slaughtered by Carver and the monsters alike. It wasn't that she wouldn't forgive him, it was that she simply _couldn't_.

She tore through another monster.

Why did he infuriate her so much? Was it the fact that he had been through something similar to her? After all, he had come from a family with little care for him, that left him alone. But he had the masked man for that, not her.

She struck down another monster, but this time it was a closer call.

' _So, why won't he listen when I tell him to let me deal with my problems myself? Why is he trying to help me? He's not like me. Not at all.'_

She dodged a downward slash, retaliating with a much more unrestrained strike.

"No. I can do this myself."

Her Familia was waiting for her. She couldn't fail them. Not when she was so close.

A sword stabbed at her back, catching her off guard as it pierced through her chest.

She fell, vaguely aware of the torrent of arrows raining down on her enemies, igniting them all in flames. A figure stood over her, as her vision began fading.

"Hey now. I can't leave you like this, Ryuu. As much as I don't like you, I still need you."

She softly laughed at Carver's words, even as he pulled out some white bandages.

"Of course, Carver. A selfish purpose, and still noble."

She blacked out, and Blaec proceeded to place a small piece of the healing cloth on her wound. It would take a little while, but she would heal. He chuckled softly.

"You idiot. You've come so far, but you're still as stubborn as ever."

He sighed.

"Ryuu, I swear, if we get out of this alive, we're going to get along just fine. This place is strange like that, bringing two people together that would normally never meet. It makes me wonder what will come next for people like us."

He gently lifted her up, making sure to keep the bandage pressed against the stab wound.

"People alone and broken. But don't worry. I can fix this mess, after all, I got us into it. As selfish as I am, I can't let someone like you get hurt, but do nothing about it."

He began to make his way back to the others.

* * *

 **A/N: So, the rewrite will be subjective viewpoint, with legit formatting. YAY!**


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